Category: Not So Grumpy Old Men

The group has had a busy time in April and May. In late April the group ventured up the A614 to visit the Adrenaline Jungle where we split up in to two groups to sample the delights of Archery and driving a Land rover through the woodland track in Sherwood Forest while blindfolded!!!

After some coaching from the staff the archery was soon mastered but the driving proved more of a challenge. As the words left and right were not allowed there were some interesting alternatives put forward by some members!!! One member managed to go up a steep slope and missed some trees by the narrowest of margins, I cannot name the member for obvious reasons, but the area is now forever known as Robbin’s hill!!!!!

Anyway we all survived the drive round the track before returning to more conventional driving methods to go to the White Post at Farnsfield for a well-deserved lunch..

In May the group settled for the much more sedate pastime of croquet at Nottingham University. In ideal weather the group split into two groups with those with no previous history of playing croquet forming one group with the experienced hands forming another group. The two teams with experience of playing enjoying a very close contest which ended seven six.

The session finished with a game of skittles and then it was back on the tram and into Nottingham for a late lunch at the Roebuck.

Next month the group travel to Lincoln to visit Bomber Command.

For their second activity of the month the NSGOM, boosted by a small number of real Grumpy Old Men, paid a visit to the Rock cemetery and catacombs at the junction of  Mansfield Road and Forest Road in Nottingham. We all agreed that the site was one we had passed thousands of times before on our travels in to Nottingham over the years. Now it was time to stop and find out about the site and its wonderful history.

Meeting up at the entrance to the site we were met by our guide for the morning. A leisurely tour of the site led to many stories about the famous and indeed the less famous people buried there. Edwin Patchitt, clerk to the local magistrates founded the site in 1848. Other famous names spotted on headstones included Watson Fothergill and James Shipstone.

Later going underground we visited the catacombs where many a worker lost his life while working in the sandstone caves. Here many a visitor, when standing quietly, has claimed to hear the sound of footsteps of former workers, pounding the caves. Perhaps not surprising as above ground, stood Gallows Hill where Nottingham’s public executions were held.

Anyway escaping the catacombs safely we walked back into the daylight and returned to our starting point.  After thanking our guide we then walked down to the nearby Grosvenor Inn for a pleasant lunch before returning to Hucknall on the tram or bus.

 An unusual but very interesting morning completed.

April sees the group taking part in a driving experience while blindfolded!!!!!!!!!   

In February, the Not So Grumpies motored into Nottingham to try their driving skills (or lack of) on the recently redesigned and extended Scalextric track at the Dragon featuring many of Nottingham’s historic landmarks and locations.  

After free practice in which participants theoretically acclimatised themselves to the circuit, three qualifying rounds were held to determine the six fastest drivers who then raced against each other in the nail-biting final.

To everyone’s surprise, the favourite to win (Senna(Pod)) only managed third place, being soundly thrashed by AlanDenham in second place, and FieryNikiL who, despite a number of allegations of track and grid violations during which a number of rivals were forced off the track, finished in first place. However, despite winning, his overall times fell far below the 10 lap record, set by Claire Balding in the inaugural race following the commissioning of the new circuit, which still remains unbeaten.

After the race, all drivers repaired to the Long Row Social to analyse the race violations, consider their appeals, and partake of much-needed fortifications.

On Tuesday October 24^th we had a guided tour of Newstead Abbey. Best laid plans to meet at Newstead Village and to enter the Abbey grounds through the tradesman’s entrance were thwarted by a flooded road with two abandoned vehicles. Plan B was then executed as we travelled round to the main entrance and onto the Abbey car park.

Our guide Barrie was very enthusiastic and knowledgeable. The building and contents are very impressive and Barrie was able to explain the provenance of many of the paintings, furniture and rooms and put them in a chronological historical context. He also led us through history of the Abbey including the various Byrons and the Wildman family.

He recognised Melvyn from a time when their professional careers crossed, a time when Melvyn was without his recognisable beard!

Afterwards we dined at The Badger Box where the staff were very welcoming.

On September 20^th our visit was to the Ruddington Framework Knitters Museum

Before our guided tour we met in Parker’s Yard Cafe named after the Parker family who owned and ran one of the earliest frame knitting workshops that once employed 100 workers.

It was an interesting visit which included a link to Hucknall with a working machine made for J Buck and sons who had factories on Derbyshire Lane and Titchfield Street.

NSGrumpy, Roy Brown, is seen working the machine, a nostalgic reminder of his first job on leaving school in 1958.

Our next activity is a guided visit of Newstead Abbey on October 24^th