www.berkshirewalkers.com and www.berkshirewalkers.org.uk
Social Events
Our group organises social events, which are also open to anyone considering joining the group. These events are purely social and are not for fund raising purposes, unless otherwise stated in the programme.
A combined programme of the social events, walks, and holidays is available on our downloads page.
Months: February , March , April , May
February 2012
Saturday 11th February - Pub Meet with live Rock band at the Crown
Location: The Crown, 3 Bridge Street, Caversham, Reading, RG4 8AA from 8pm.
Please meet us the Crown on Caversham Bridge from 8pm. Parking is limited at pub so may be best to park in centre of Caversham or Reading town centre and walk down.
Real ale is served.
Rock band Big 500 will be playing two one hour sessions between 8:30pm and 11:30pm.
Organiser: Jane O7881 8O5 156
Friday 17th February - Pub Meet at the Lock Stock & Barrel
Location: The Lock Stock and Barrel, 104 Northbrook Street, Newbury, RG14 1AA from 7:30pm.
Please meet us for drinks from 7:30pm. This pub does a fine and wide selection of drinks. There are car parks around Newbury centre for those that wish to drive, in the evenings parking is a pound or two. For those on the train it is but a few minutes' walk from Newbury Station.
Organiser: Mike O791O 3Seven2 297
March 2012
Friday 9th March - Pub Evening in Reading at the Back of Beyond, Reading
Location: Back of Beyond, 104 Kings Road, Reading, Berkshire, RG1 3BY from 7:30pm.
Meet us from 7:30pm onwards. Always a popular venue for a meet up and a few reasonably priced drinks including a good selection of real ales.
There is also reasonably priced food, to be washed down by the aforementioned reasonably priced booze, for anybody wishing to eat as well... treat yourself,
it’s Friday and you’ve worked hard all week!
Everybody most welcome! See you there...
Organiser: Jude 07585 234 836
Saturday 17th March - Bletchley Park, National Codes Centre
Location: Bletchley Park, Sherwood Drive, Bletchley, Milton Keynes, MK3 6EB at 11:00am.
Bletchley Park, one-time administrative capital of Germany, is just to the SW of Milton Keynes. It was at the heart of the British WWII code breaking efforts and housed the people and machines that helped to significantly shorten the war. For years it was the mysterious "station X", until secrecy over its use was lifted and it started to be converted into the museum that it is today. The historians and volunteers (some of whom worked there in its heyday) there are still piecing together all of its secrets. If you're interested in how language and mathematics scholars, and talented telephone engineers worked together with Polish allies to do the impossible, Bletchley Park is the place to go; if you're a Bond fan and an avid reader of Ian Flemming, Bletchley is the place to go; if you want to know how to spend the hours in your own hut with 2 foot thick concrete walls, Bletchley is the place to go!
As you may have guessed by now, we're having a trip to Bletchley Park. We will meet there at 11:00am outside B-block (where the admissions are).
Bletchley Park is accessible by train, though the route is via London; to reduce the cost of travelling, why not use
our car share scheme. The admission cost to the museum is £12 at the time of writing
(see www.bletchleypark.org for more up to date information),
but there is a supplemental fee to see the re-built Colossus (the first electronic computer anywhere in the world).
We will aim to be there until closing (there is plenty to do), so bring a packed lunch or some money for the canteen.
There is a second museum on the site, the National Museum of Computing, which is also worth a visit (it has an interesting collection of machines from the past
40 years of accountancy, through weather prediction and earthquake location to home computing - do you remember your BBC Basic?).
If you're interested in coming, please contact me on lee.k.pattison(at)gmail.com so that I can gauge numbers.
Organiser: Lee O778O 683 521
Saturday 31st March - Pub Crawl of Winchester
Location: Reading Railway Station, Station Approach, Reading,
RG1 1LZ at 12 midday
or alternatively Winchester Railway Station, Station Hill, Winchester,
SO23 8TJ at 1pm.
Meet us at entrance to Reading main railway station at midday in anticipation for catching the 12:15pm train or, alternatively, outside Winchester railway station at 1pm, assuming no delays. Feel free to join us for a leisurely crawl of the cities finer alcoholic establishments. We hope take on board food at some point. We should be greeted by with the usual samples of ale, other alcoholic beverages and should you chose, non-alcoholic refreshments en route. Winchester is a fine city to explore so if may wish to arrive earlier and make further use of our day and perhaps explore independently some of its treasures that include the historic Winchester Cathedral as well King Arthur’s Round Table. All welcome to attend. If you miss the 1pm meet point then please give me a call and we can try to make an alternative arrangement. We will leave Winchester when we have had enough.
Organiser: Dan O7761 192 5O9 or socialevents(at)berkshirewalkers.com
April 2012
Saturday 14th April - Drinks in Richmond, London
Location: Slug and Lettuce, Riverside House, Water Lane, Richmond, TW9 1TJ at 2pm.
For those that have been on the walk (see walks program for further details) and have worked up a good thirst and/or appetite, are invited to join me for a social in Richmond. Beginning at 2pm in the Slug and Lettuce at Riverside House. The nearest tube station is Richmond. (If you are joining us just for the social please wait there for us in the event that the walk may overrun slightly) We will stop at a few of the many trendy pubs and bars for drinks and food for those who fancy it.
Organiser: Michelle O79five8 O73 265
Sunday 15th April – Deadline for "A Day at Newbury Races"
See Saturday 19th May for details.
Wednesday 25th April - Pub meet at Wheelwrights Arms, St Nicholas Hurst
Location: Wheelwright's Arms, Davis Way, St Nicholas Hurst, Berkshire, RG10 0TR from 7pm.
Join us from 7:00pm for a mid-week drink at the Wheelwright's Arms. To find take turning 'Davis Way' directly opposite the entrance to Dinton Pastures Country Park the pub is a short way down on your left. The pub is approximately half a mile from Winnersh station.
Organiser: Alex O7544 985 639
May 2012
Thursday 3rd May - Evening Stroll and Reading Beer Festival
Location: Reading Railway Station, Station Approach, Reading,
RG1 1LZ at 6:45pm for the walk
or alternatively at King's Meadow, Napier Road, Reading,
RG1 8BN at 7:30pm for the festival.
Meet at 6:45pm on the main concourse of Reading Station if you want to do the pre-beer walk (about 45 minutes). If wet we will go straight to the beer tent.
Alternatively go straight the Beer Festival, King's Meadow. Napier Road, Reading at 7:30pm and meet inside the beer tent.
Entry is about £8.00 (including £2.00 glass deposit which makes a good souvenir or present).
Members of Camra and holders of Reading passport to leisure get reduced rates.
Although this is a school night, it's the easiest night to get in.
For non-beer drinkers there is a choice of ciders and wines. Hot food is also available.
Organiser: Ian Montague O7762 O54 2O7
Saturday 19th May - A Day at Newbury Races (and beer!!)
Location: Reading Railway Station, Station Approach, Reading,
RG1 1LZ at 11am
or alternatively at Newbury Racecource Railway Station,
RG14 5ST at 11:45am.
This will be the highlight of Newbury's Flat racing season featuring the JLT Group 1 Lockerage Stakes.
There will also be a beer festival on hand featuring a wide selection of local real ales and live music.
If you chose to catch the train with the organiser and travelling via Reading please meet in the entrance to Reading main railway station at 11am.
Alternatively, please meet us outside Newbury Racecourse railway station at 11:45am.
First race due at 1:25pm so we should arrive in time to have a look round and perhaps grab a bite to eat and a drink before the action starts.
Price is £20 per ticket. Please contact organiser who will forward details of how to arrange payment.
If we get sufficient numbers (ten) we will try and get the group discount rate which is 15% (£17). If we achieve this, we will arrange a refund on the day.
Please forward payment promptly to ensure that we get our tickets and to avoid any disappointment.
Facilities: The venue has plenty of drink and food outlets to choose from so no need to bring anything other than yourselves and money to spend, spend, spend!
Dress Code: Smart dress is encouraged although not compulsory.
Parking: This is available but please arrange independently.
If you miss the deadline and still wish to attend please book your own ticket and feel free to join us.
Organiser: Dan O7761 192 5O9 or socialevents(at)berkshirewalkers.com
Monday 21st May – Deadline for The Real China
See below for details.
Saturday 26th May - The Real China, Chinese buffet, Bracknell
Location: The Real China, Chinese buffet, 6-8 High Street, Bracknell,
RG12 1AA for 6:30pm
and then The Old Manor pub, Grenville Place, Bracknell,
RG12 1BP afterwards.
Meet at the Real China for a 6:30pm seating. Buffet meal approx £11.99 per person. The Real China is a widely acclaimed Chinese buffet restaurant chain.
Please could you let the organiser know by Monday 21st May if you would like to come so that I can make a booking, no deposit required.
After dinner we may then head to The Old Manor pub, Grenville Place, a Wetherspoons pub a short walk from where we will be eating.
Organiser: Alex O7544 985 639
June 2012
Saturday 9th June – Thermae Baths and Pub Meet, Bath
Location: Bath Spa Railway Station, Dorchester Street, Bath,
BA1 1SU for 12pm
or alternatively join us at Thermae Bath Spa, Hot Bath Street, Bath,
BA1 1SJ at 3pm.
Meet at 12pm outside the main entrance of Bath Spa station (ST752640), we will walk around Bath, maybe grab a coffee (or beer?) and a sit-down lunch.
We will then head for the Thermae Bath Spa for a 2 hour session in the New Royal Bath - cost £26 each.
Hopefully the weather will be sunny so as to give a stunning view from the rooftop pool!
If you prefer to do your own thing at any point, or join us later in the day or evening, you can (re)join us at Thermae Bath Spa (ST749646)
at 3pm, or find us in one of the local hostelries at any time from 6pm. (In the latter case please phone me on the number below to find out where we are.)
Recommend getting the train from Reading to Bath Spa (plus connections to/from Reading as appropriate). Likely to be leaving Reading around 10am-11am,
and getting the last train back around 10pm-11pm. Exact times and prices to be given in an update to the Berkshire Walkers website later in the Spring,
and also in the next Social Programme which is due out just before this event.
Organiser: Jean-Paul O7887 seven1O 396 or jeanpaultanner(AT)hotmail.com
Updates to Social Events
While every effort is made to adhere to the details specified in the description, there may be the occasional last minute changes. These will be included in the weekly email bulletins and also posted on the website. If you are not on the email distribution list, it is worth contacting the organiser prior to any social events you attend, just in case there is a change of plan.
A Note about Deadlines
Please remember that all these social events are organised by volunteers, so your co-operation is greatly appreciated. For some events the organisers need to know in advance who is going so they can make the necessary bookings etc. If you wish to attend a social event that specifies a deadline then please contact the organiser before the deadline otherwise you will be putting them to extra trouble and it may not be possible to change the booking anyway.
If there are still some spare places on an event after the specified deadline has passed, a bulletin will be sent out, otherwise you must assume you are too late. (Please don't try to sneak in by contacting the venue and modifying the booking without the organisers consent!)
Also, if you are booked on an event and then find you are unable to make it after all, please let the organiser know so that they don't wait around for you, and as they may be able to offer the place to someone else. Thank you very much for your co-operation.