Chelmsford YHA Group

Programme

Wednesday Meetings, Weekends Away & Other Events

December 2010

Wednesday 1st December

Pub: Prince of Wales Mountnessing

Jim

Pub night at the Prince of Wales, Roman Road, Mountnessing, CM15 0UG. Pub is situated on the old A12 that runs through the middle of Mountnessing (see map). Meet from about 8:30pm for a drink and a chat to while away the evening.


Wednesday 8th December

Committee Meeting

Everybody welcome to help plan our future events.


boot

Sunday 12th December

Walk – Thrift Wood - Bicknacre

Dave J

Join us for a pre-Christmas stroll  in this ancient woodland exploring some of the famous Green Lanes of Essex. The walk will be no more than 5½ miles. The aim is to have a meal afterwards in a pub in Bicknacre.

PLEASE NOTE A CHANGE OF MEETING POINT - We will now meet at the Brewers Arms pub, Main Rd, Bicknacre CM3 4HD at 10.30a.m. The pub will also be our venue for lunch. (see map).


Wednesday 15th December

Slide Show: Arabian Gulf

John M

John will give an illustrated talk on the history, culture and geography of a region that seems always to be as pivotal in the 21st century as it was in the 20th. This region of glaring contrasts where ancient and modern are side by side. Photos, maps & archaic tools all on display.


Saturday 18th December

Christmas Dinner

Helen L

Our traditional Christmas gathering at Chignal St. James village hall (3 miles from Chelmsford) with as much as you can eat for just £10 each.

Turkey Dinner

We start with George's traditional Polish Christmas specialities of beetroot borsch and fish & sauerkraut, and follow this with delicious turkey with crisply roasted spuds and succulent veg, and of course Christmas pudding with lashings of custard, all rounded off with coffee and wafer-thin mints.

The dinner is prepared by volunteers, with turkeys, spuds, sprouts & gravy from all corners of the county. It’s all enormous fun and we are looking for volunteer veggie peelers, boilers, roasters, room decorators etc.

To find it (grid ref TL665108, see map), take the A1060 (Rainsford Rd./Roxwell Rd.) out of Chelmsford; turn right at lights into Chignall Rd., after 1 mile turn left (Mashbury Rd) signposted Chignall St. James. Hall is on the left after almost 2 miles.

Be there for 7.30pm. Bring your own drinks.

Please send £10 to Dave P to secure your dinner place (and say if you want a vegetarian option).


Winner of Best Landscape category 2009: Jim's photo on Fan Hir, Wales

Wednesday 22nd December

Annual Photo Competition

Ali

Come join us for a mince pie and bring some photos from the last year to remind us what we’ve all been up to.

We traditionally operate 4 categories: Best Portrait, Best Landscape, Best Caption and Spirit of YHA. The only rule is that the picture must be of a CYHA event that has taken place since 1st Nov 2009. As usual we expect to plumb new depths with the caption comp and you will have to be there if you want to hear the versions we can’t publish!

(for inspiration, see last year's winners!)


Tuesday 28th December 2010 to Monday 3rd January 2011

New Year Trip to Brecon

Jim

The Brecon Beacons in Winter

The Canal Barn is a comfortable and well equipped bunkhouse by the River Usk, a short walk from Brecon town centre, and an ideal base from which to explore the Brecon Beacons.

The highest mountains in South Wales overlook the town, and the towpath right outside the bunkhouse is part of the Usk Valley Walk and the Taff Trail long distance footpath.

The bunkhouse has central heating throughout, 24 beds in small cosy dormitories, a spacious dining/common  room and well equipped kitchen.

Access is via the canal bridge next to Morrisons petrol station on the road from Abergavenny to Brecon town centre (B4601). Grid ref SO 052 279; postcode LD3 7HH. See maps.

Pillows are provided, but you’ll need to bring a sleeping bag or other bedding.

Deposit of £30 to book your place. Total cost will be about £22 per day for bed and meals, plus about £30 towards petrol for those sharing lifts from Essex.


Note: Unless otherwise stated, Wednesday events start at 8.30pm at the YMCA in Victoria Road, Chelmsford

Next Month...

Please send any comments on these pages to Dave Plummer