Category: Not So Grumpy Old Men

In September, following the cheering up of some Grumpy Old Men, 26 of the combined Not So Grumpy Old Men Group visited the Hucknall Flight Test Museum, a venue many of them visited under its Rolls Royce Heritage banner 6 years before, but now expanded and improved.

Rolls Royce transformed aviation by innovative engineering solutions and designs and shaped the path of the modern jet engine, claiming many world firsts along the way.

After an introductory talk about the origins of the museum and how acquiring grade II listed status ensured at least a small part of the Rolls Royce site was not “developed” into housing, we were treated to guided talks on the world-leading testing facilities, the evolution (over a surprisingly short timeframe) of aero engine design and manufacture and an incredible collection of hand-built scale models of over 30 aircraft.

Many of the group were ex-Rolls Royce employees and the museum volunteers were keen to try to get them back to work!

Enthralled by the talks and exhibits, it was difficult to drag ourselves away for the post-visit lunch at the Nabb Inn.

Mark Jackson

August saw the now combined groups of Grumpy Old Men and Not So Grumpy Old Men meet up together for the first time at Titchfield Park for a session of Lawn Bowls.

Meeting up at 1.00 pm the group had a session of instruction and practice helped by members of the bowls club. Breaking after an hour for refreshments the group then returned to the greens for a further session of bowling.

A big thank you to everybody at the bowls club for their support and tuition.

A meal at the Broomhill Restaurant followed to complete a lovely afternoon.

September takes the group on a visit to the Flight Museum at Rolls Royce and then on to visits to the Newark Air Museum and the Sherwood Observatory in Sutton.

Barrie

Our July visit took the group across to Arnold town centre and specifically to the Robin Hood and Little John pub to play alley skittles.

Starting just after 1.00 pm and with glasses fully charged the group took some time to grasp the rules of the game and its scoring system. However, several members soon revealed their previous experience of playing and started to romp ahead in the scoring, leaving a big gap in the scores achieved!!

After a break to top up the glasses we ventured on to the roof top garden area for a break and chat. Play then resumed before we all ventured across the road for the now customary meal and chance to put the world to rights.

After that it was a return journey to Hucknall to complete a very good afternoon.

A special thank you to Terry Moult for organising the afternoon.

For our visit and guided tour/talk to the D H Lawrence Museum on Victoria Street in Eastwood on 12^th June we were joined by some members from the real Grumpies.

We found it very interesting to see the house in which D H Lawrence was born on 11 September 1885 set out as it would have been in the late 19^th Century and to learn about his life and background. His experiences of living in a coal mining town deeply influenced his writing. His father, Arthur, was a miner, while his mother, Lydia, was a former schoolteacher with literary aspirations. The tension between their backgrounds shaped Lawrence’s early worldview. Eastwood’s industrial landscape and working-class life became central themes in his novels, especially Sons and Lovers.

We also learned that he was a sensitive child, often ill, and found an escape in books and nature. He attended Beauvale Board School and later won a scholarship to Nottingham High School, marking the beginning of his journey from miner’s son to literary icon. He was a prolific writer, poet and painter producing a large body of work in a relatively short life dying of TB at the age of 44.

To celebrate our visit and to pay homage we adjourned to the nearby Wetherspoons establishment The Lady Chatterley for food and drink.

David Rose

The group met up at the Spot On Club in January to enjoy a couple of hours of snooker and to discuss ideas for this years visits.

The group usually enjoy one get together each month and ideas for this year included, skittles at Hucknall British Legion Club, outdoor bowls at Titchfield Park, Laser Quest and visits to places such as Nottingham Rugby, the Lace Market Theatre for a backstage tour, to Linney’s Printers at Mansfield and to the Rolls Royce Heritage Museum.

Members share the planning and organising duties between them so that the workload is not too onerous for any one member.

The group has 30 members and is presently full.

Barrie