Category: Grumpy Old Men

After a lapse of some years, the Grumpy Old Men have taken up skittles again, this time courtesy of the Royal British Legion in Hucknall.

After initial surprise at the length we were supposed to bowl the, very heavy, wooden bowls and some effort in getting to grips with the rules, we played two rounds, which were admirably scored by Alan (‘nul points’) Snape.

To further confuse us, we changed the teams after the first round, after a suitable pause for the buffet. Some Grumpies were more consistent in their scoring than others, and not always in a good way!

This was an enjoyable evening, with thanks to Pete Wall for organising the game. We always welcome new members, just get in touch via our website or have a chat at our monthly meeting.

For their latest cultural outing, the Grumpy Old Men ventured into Nottingham, to try out the Scrapyard (Crazy) Golf, which is located upstairs at the Bowling Alley, next to Nottingham Arena.

The 9 hole ‘course’ is constructed from various bits of metalwork, including the rear end of a pensioned-off car, and several Grumpies were to be found taking apart a complex bit of machinery at one point, in order to retrieve a golf ball.

We then progressed through the Lace Market, heading for the Keen’s Head, a Castle Rock pub near St. Mary’s Church, which was ideal for the group photo. Finally, a short walk uphill took us to Wetherspoons, which we have frequented on several recent occasions.

Thanks to Ian Murray for organising this cultural excursion. Our next planned event will be skittles, at the British Legion in Hucknall on Monday 9^th September. Do get in touch if you would like to join the Grumpies.

Our Grumpies have been in the Peak District again, this time at Wirksworth. The visit was in three parts, at the headquarters of the Ecclesbourne Valley Railway, where they first visited the LMS 10000 workshop. This ambitious project is reconstructing one of the prototype diesel locomotives which were built by the LMS railway in 1947, just before nationalization of the railways.

Next, we visited the workshops of the railway, where a number of overhaul and restoration projects were underway, including several carriages. Everything looks very large when viewed from below!

We then walked into Wirksworth, to the Heritage Centre, where we heard a very interesting talk about the history of the town. The town was effectively covered in a layer of dust until the last of the limestone quarries closed in 1989. This meant that no-one had any interest in redeveloping (or ruining) the buildings until that time, and what survives today makes a very interesting and quirky, if quite hilly, Peak District town.

The morning was then rounded off by our customary lunch, in the Centre’s Webster’s café. More Grumpy members are always welcome to join us on future visits.

Thespian visit

The Grumpy Old Men have ventured out again, this time with a theatrical theme, where they trod the boards at the Lace Market Theatre, in Nottingham City Centre.

The theatre is housed in a very old, listed building, just off Fletcher Gate, which started life as a chapel. By 1970, after several uses, the building was nearly derelict, having since had a major restoration programme. It is now owned by the Theatre and is a charity which is run entirely by volunteers, without grants or sponsorship. We heard that they put on a new production on average once a month and have three weeks to build a new set and rehearse the next production. They also have a youth group, to provide opportunities for young people to get into the world of theatre, film or television.

This was a very interesting visit to a ‘one-off’ venue and is recommended for U3A visits. Membership is open to everyone, which is the way to getting involved with any aspect of the theatre.

John Tedstone

As we get going in 2024, it’s time for the Grumpy Old Men to start thinking about outings for the coming year.

In 2023, two of the places we visited were the National Mining Museum at Wakefield and, nearer to home, Cromford Mill. Our final visit of the year was to the fascinating W.W. Winter photographic business and museum in Derby.

We take it in turns to organize visits, so if you can think of somewhere interesting but which you have never visited, why not organize a Grumpy Day out? If you’re not a member of the Group, or have only joined our U3A recently, why not join us? Just use the tab on Hucknall U3A website to get in touch.

The photos show some of the places which we have visited recently. All our visits include a meal in a nearby pub or café as well.

John Tedstone