Christmas Dinner at the 3 Acres

Christmas was almost upon us and our party of four (Dannie was sadly absent) were being chauffeured, very slowly I might add, along the dark country roads to our destination for the evening. Phoebe’s boyfriend, Alex, has become our designated driver for this end-of-year gathering and for one night only we re-christen him James; I made it very clear that next year he simply must wear a peaked cap. As we picked up speed and the exhaust started making lots of noise it became apparent as to why we had been doing a frustrating 20mph – any faster and we sounded as if we were about to take off.

As we rounded the final bend in the road the familiar sight of the 3 Acres came into view with the twinkling red lights of Emley Moor Television Mast hanging in the night sky. We’d been looking forward to tonight for months, as this has now become a yearly ritual and we know that we won’t be disappointed. Upon entering, the place is warm, cosy and inviting. Every year as we take our seats around the table we comment that it feels like the living embodiment of a Dickensian Christmas. Large church candles placed throughout mean that tonight I don’t have to worry about a lack of ‘ambience’.

As we settle into our chairs and scan the delicious sounding menu we all agree that it’s good to be back here as it finally feels like Christmas is in the air. As conversation flows and we catch up with each others lives over the past few weeks I discover that I’ve started a new trend - warm mince pies topped with a generous dollop of thick Bailey’s cream. It’s one of my indulgences at this time of year and seems to have caught on with the other ladies and their partners, especially Catherine’s husband who previously didn’t even like mince pies. Be sure to try it yourself.

A Festive Feast

The 3 Acres does the best turkey dinner ever and so it was without any hesitation or pondering that we ordered unanimous Christmas dinners all round. While waiting for our food to arrive we remembered the long curved plastic fingernails which three of us had procured the previous week while pulling crackers at our work Christmas party. We’d brought them along this evening as they are very witch-like and we’d become quite attached to them and their obvious use as a comedy prop. We were very quickly served with “roast locally reared turkey” and crispy belly pork, apple, shallot and cranberry chutney, pork & chestnut sausage, sage & onion stuffing, bread sauce & mustard sauce, mashed potato & roast potato, roast parsnip, an accompanying tureen of sprouts, carrot & swede mash and cauliflower, not forgetting the gravy boat. It was as good as it sounds, and to say that we thoroughly enjoyed every last morsel of our meals doesn’t really do it justice, but our four empty plates were an indication of our complete appreciation; and even though I was feeling pretty full at this stage, if someone had placed another dinner in front of me I would have had a good go at it as I’m sure the other ladies would.

Once the plates had been cleared and we were about to peruse the dessert menu it was with horror and panic that Catherine realised her plastic nail had gone. She’d left it on her side plate which had now departed to the kitchen. The waitress we called over and explained the predicament to very kindly went to the kitchen to see if said nail could be retrieved. She returned with the sad news that it was probably in the bin. We didn’t mourn its loss for too long as there was now the important task ahead of what to have for dessert. Ordinarily I’m too full by this point and opt instead for a liqueur coffee but tonight was special and I felt I had a little room left.  Once again we were united in our choice as we all opted for a “trio of Christmas puddings” which consisted of Christmas pudding & dark rum sauce, mince pie & brandy butter and rum & raisin ice-cream. We were all in agreement that the quality of tonight’s food and the attention to detail was superb. As if that wasn’t enough we were all then entertained by a local brass band playing carols. Wonderful!

‘Read All About It’ - December’s Theme

After pulling Christmas crackers that contained not only jokes but facts and charades as well, and exchanging our Secret Santa gifts under the table so the secret could be truly secret, it was now time to present our themes, this months being ‘Current Affairs’. I’d bought and read a lot of newspapers over the past few weeks in the hope that a stand-out article would jump off the page and grab my attention in a positive way. But the papers seemed to be full of stories of doom and gloom interspersed with indispensable Christmas shopping lists to encourage more spending as the high street goes into melt-down. But amongst the stories of rising divorce rates and an unsteady economy I did find an article that gave me some hope; it was about proposals to rid Dorset's villages of the urban clutter of unsightly road signs, road markings, traffic lights and speed cameras. A few years ago I saw a programme about these schemes that had been put in place in other European countries where they worked very well. The projects are designed to improve traffic’s relationship with pedestrians, and the methods used change the perception and expectations in the drivers mind. I think these projects should be rolled out countrywide and I also suggested that it would work very well alongside some of the proposals offered up by Mary Portas and so help us to also transform our town centres. I also proposed tree lined streets and old fashioned shop awnings alongside other ideas to make market stalls form a cohesive part of the shopping experience.

When I embarked on this theme it felt like a struggle but I actually thoroughly enjoyed it. It gave me a much more rounded picture of what was going on in the world in December 2011 and I was also very happy that Victoria Beckham won designer brand of the year at the start of my theme, and it was announced that Tracey Emin was going to be the new Professor of Drawing at the end of my theme.

The article that caught Catherine’s attention was about a café in London’s West End, frequented by actors since 1965, that was facing closure. The falafels at Gaby’s Deli had always been a crowd pleaser until this Christmas when a planning application was passed for its redevelopment as a chain restaurant. Many of the country's best-known performers and writers are now queuing up for the chance to support the deli by appearing in a series of impromptu cabaret nights. Before reading this article Catherine had never heard of Gaby’s Deli, but the more she read the more she realized that this was a story that would resonate with everyone as we face the prospect of throwing our history aside to make room for even more cold, generic, heartless chain stores. Mary Portas had just been in the news with her plan to revitalize the high street and although most people are feeling the pinch it’s vital that we support our local shops and restaurants. Catherine felt that Gaby’s is the representation of every struggling independent business; a small part of the big picture that makes up our local community that we so desperately need to preserve.

For Phoebe this month has been all about Gareth Malone, a man that she now has a major crush on as do many ladies across the land. He's the cherished TV choirmaster who inspires stirring deeds from people who never knew what they had in them and the article was about the path his life has taken and how he is now hoping to beat the X Factor single to the Christmas No.1 slot. The choir’s that he has formed have brought communities together and by giving them a voice he has demonstrated the power of music to make them and others feel good. With his current single he enlisted 40 military wives and girlfriends and allowed them to express, in public, emotions that they might otherwise feel obliged to disguise with the lyrics being lifted from the women’s letters to their husbands in Afghanistan. Phoebe loved that Gareth has made choir singing cool and trendy, and has seen its impact first-hand as her sister Laura has now joined a choir and is loving it. To get the Intellectual Dinner Club into the spirit she provided us all with our own little pamphlet of Christmas carols so we can sing our way through the festive season.

Caroline felt that the word that summed her up this month was ‘frazzled’. Work had been too much and constant transcribing had given her ‘transcription pedal knee’, so the thought of ploughing through the papers and reading about politicians filled her with dread. To relieve stress and provide some relaxation she treated herself to a pile of glossy magazines and found that it wasn’t an article that caught her eye but an advert. A rather feisty looking young woman appears to be kick-boxing her way into the New Year which gave Caroline the inspiration needed to decide that exercise and getting fit are going to be top of her list for the New Year. 2011 was almost over and rather than regretting the things that hadn’t been done she was looking forward to 2012 and all its possibilities. With this in mind she decided that resolutions were not the way to go as they so often fall by the wayside; instead she was going to embark on the concept of ’12 into 2012’ where she will commit to doing one thing each month that she has always wanted to do. An inspired idea that would get us all thinking.


Home James

With the theme over it was almost time to depart but not before the ladies surprised me with some gorgeous presents for my birthday in just a few days time; a lovely little mirror compact decorated with birds and then a book I’ve been coveting for months – ‘True British’ by Alice Temperley – perfect presents. They very nearly had me in tears. Conversation then turned to Christmas trees and Catherine asked if we’d seen the TV advert of Peter Andre being netted up like a tree? I hadn’t but as we waited for our chauffer to arrive it gave us great amusement imagining Peter Andre standing in our living rooms, arms outstretched, holding glittering baubles aloft. And so our third year of The Intellectual Dinner Club was almost at an end. Who knows what awaits us in our fourth year!

Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year.

Amanda xxx

Step into Christmas

I'm finding it difficult to do this month's theme. It is a bit hectic at the moment but my biggest problem is all I seem to be reading or hearing about is doom and gloom; the state of the economy, the government,  war...there's so much hate and depression in this world and it's difficult to find an article that doesn't contain these issues. It just doesn't feel like Christmas at the moment but I'm doing everything I can to try and get into the Christmas spirit. Caroline and I got horribly tipsy at our local Christmas market the other day...it wasn't our fault that the man on the hot chocolate stall poured a huuuuge shot of rum into our drinks...I was seeing double! I put the Christmas tree up, although when the Christmas tree lights exploded I was starting to think it was a bad idea; I'm playing Wham's Last Christmas in the car on the way to work every morning; I'm slowly wading my way through a tin of chocolate whilst watching every Christmas film there is and I've poured so much brandy into my Christmas cake that I'm sure at any moment it's going to grow legs and stagger it's way out of the front door. What I'm hoping though is that come the next Intellectual Dinner at the 3 Acres we'll all be feeling a lot more Christmassy, I'm really excited and can't believe that another year has passed. Until then I'll go back to finding my Christmas spirit...I think it's hiding somewhere...possibly behind the big bottle of Amaretto I've been saving for a festive occasion. Like the little boy in the John Lewis advert (it makes me cry every time) I can't wait for Christmas to arrive, I hope you all manage to find your Christmas spirit and have a very merry Christmas and a happy New Year!

Catherine xx
http://www.youtube.com/user/JohnLewisRetail

December's Theme

"READ ALL ABOUT IT”

Current Affairs   December 2011

For this months task I would like you all to keep an eye on what is going in the media be it newspapers, magazines or online news.

I then want everyone to choose an article, from your chosen media, to present to the rest of the group.

I want to know why you chose that article; what was it about it that caught your attention? I also want you to formulate a response to the article in any form that you choose.

The article can be about anything. Just because it’s current affairs doesn’t mean it has to be about the economy or politics. I was recently reading ‘The Independent’ and the headline Happiness is a Warm Sponge caught my eye. I noticed it because two certain ladies we know are very keen bakers and the food writer Annie Bell was extolling the pleasures of baking. She was commenting that baking is this year’s hot food trend, which perhaps says quite a lot about where we currently are as a nation.

Just remember, we go to press on Friday 16^th December.

Amanda xxx

November's Dinner - The Arrival

Sting! He was the topic of our conversation on Thursday night as we sat huddled around our cosy little table by the window at the Woodman Inn in Thunderbridge. We had just survived a scary, rollercoaster journey through the dark, winding country roads where we had screamed as the car dropped down hills and swerved around sharp bends...we'd no idea where we were and as Amanda reminisced about the day when she flipped her mini over onto its roof on these very roads, we wondered if we were ever going to make it to dinner. But we made it and now here we were listening to Amanda seductively reading the menu aloud as though she was the voiceover for the Marks and Spencer's food advert. Sting had just started the first line of 'Fields of Gold' and we all began discussing whether it was necessary for Sting to always have a bit of chest out? No it wasn't. Did we find the tight trousers attractive? Certainly not. We all settled the conversation in the end by agreeing that we didn't really have any appreciation for Sting, his music or his "tantric ways!" Which caused me to attractively lose a bit of my white wine spritzer through one of my nostrils.

We'd all been waiting for this night...it had been a hard month with many changes and for some of us change was a hard thing to have to deal with. For me I just knew I needed to have some time out, I needed to be with the girls and run away from my problems if only for the night. Because that's what I love about the Intellectual Dinner Club...it's an escape. No matter how bad things are I know that I will leave feeling ten times better and with a smile on my face. I had very nearly stayed at home this evening because I just couldn't see how I was going to get past my grump and be sociable, I was angry with myself for letting my problems take over; but now here I was wiping wine out of my nose and trying desperately hard to compose myself in order to select something from the amazing menu that Amanda, and now Caroline were both still seductively reading aloud...it was not going to be easy.  

Keep reading below for more about our November Dinner...

Dinner is Served

We were one witch down tonight...Danielle had decided to stay at home. After breaking up with her boyfriend she was struggling to find the energy to be sociable and so would be missing this month's dinner. It was a shame as the menu had all of Dani's favourite foods on it...including a very naughty sticky toffee pudding. Our giant plates of food were brought over to us and we ooohd and aaaaaahd as we were served our slow roasted belly pork...complete with crackling and black pudding, roast pheasant with duck fat roasted potatoes and a chestnut mushroom pie with enormous hand cut chips. The food was fantastic, the restaurant cosy and warm, it was all perfect in our little nook by the window where our conversation turned to...smelly people on buses!  I am sure that many of you will share our loathing of public transport in the winter...the parting of the hair on your head when a person coughs behind you, or the dubious stain on the last seat available at the back of the bus, next to the boy with his underwear riding high above his waist band and his mobile phone blasting out some tinny hip hop. Yes public transport in the winter is a joy we have discovered. Unless you are Caroline who is willing to get her little car out no matter how bad the weather to avoid the smelly journey of a bus ride into town and who one year was rescued from the snow by some rather cool people in brightly coloured, fancy eighties ski wear...the thought of which caused me to nearly spray winter vegetable mash across the dining room. After a truly amazing dinner...dessert was absolutely necessary. The choices were so delicious we were tempted to ask for a little bit
of everything on the menu, but Caroline and I both settled on the chocolate and amaretto sponge pudding with white chocolate icecream and Phoebe on the modern banana split. Amanda (as always) chose an Amaretto liqueur coffee...Amanda is very particular about her coffee and how it is prepared. God help the restaurant if it is not served correctly...however we were all able to breathe a sigh of relief when it arrived lovingly prepared and thankfully in the correct receptacle.

Our Themes for November

It was time for our themes...the restaurant was still buzzing and so we felt it was the right time to discuss this month's theme 'Finding a Happy Place.' I was disappointed that Danielle wasn't here for this bit as I felt certain she would have entertained us with her possibly rude interpretation of the theme. Instead I kicked off with my theme, which was a collection of photographs of my happy place in Finland. My happy place is my husband's family summer house, we go there nearly every year for some well earned rest and relaxation. What I love about it is that there is nothing there but a beautiful lake and forest. The summer house is nestled amongst the trees and the sauna house is just below on the edge of the lake...where you can lay inside and look out of the window to watch the sunset. Sometimes we row the boat around the lake, pick blueberries from the bushes surrounding our house or take long walks through the forest. At night my husband makes up recipes and cooks us an amazing dinner and then we go to the sauna and swim in the lake as the sun sets. When it gets dark we take wine down to the deck and sit by the lake watching the shooting stars. There is no sound, just the sound of the water lapping against the rocks. Everything is so easy, so far away from my worries and problems. When I sit on the edge of the deck, staring out to the sunset with my feet dipping into the warm water and a warm summer breeze caressing my shoulders that's when I know I am in my happy place...there's nothing else like it...I come alive.

Caroline discovered her happy place just recently...it was a dark, foggy day outside and she sat snuggled up in her fleecy pyjamas and beanie hat (which has shares in all female moments!). Caroline loves the Scandinavian style of interior design and showed us some examples she had found in a magazine. The clean, white lines with splashes of red, sheepskin rugs and fairy lights. Her living room is almost there if she could only convince her partner  that the sheepskin rug would be an investment, a classic time piece to complete their Norwegian feel living room. And so Caroline realised that this is her happy place...her cosy living room, lit up with twinkling fairy lights and keeping her cosy and warm in the cold, murky afternoon. She settled in for her girly afternoon complete with customary chocolate and cosy slippers and snuggled down on the settee to watch one of her favourite films...Predator!

Amanda had struggled to find her happy place and so decided to write a list of the places where she felt happy...at her desk being creative, in the kitchen cooking, reading with a nice drink in her hand or having a chat with a friend over a cup of tea. And then she realised that she doesn't really have a happy place...home is a happy place if the circumstances are right, ideally with the right company. And so she took inspiration from the book "The Happiness Project" by Gretchin Rubin and found that she is at her happiest when she is growing and striving after goals. This inspired Amanda to start her own embroidery project. Of course Amanda who always plays down her theme then fetched out something truly amazing, a fantastic embroidery, which although not quite complete was making Amanda set herself a goal. Although often these projects can frustrate her, after speaking to her Mum on the phone who advised her to just do a little bit at a time...she discovered that her happy place is being at home, working on a project (a little at a time) often with somebody there that she can talk to.

Phoebe found that she had more than one happy place. She began by talking about her cat Boris...being at home with her faithful cat who always manages to make her feel happy. She then listed some of the simple things that help her to find her happy place...reading Sainsbury's magazine (especially the Christmas issue); drinking a mug of hot chocolate whilst snuggled up at home; her recent visit to the cinema at midnight to watch Breaking Dawn she found,  was definitely a happy place to be. Making cakes with Catherine; driving in the car listening to Fleetwood Mac; watching trash TV like Strictly Come Dancing and Merlin on a Saturday night; wearing new pyjamas; chatting in the car with her boyfriend Alex and finally being at The Intellectual Dinner Club. All of these things made Phoebe feel content and in her happy place.

Time to say goodbye

A few strange things had happened tonight...the booking itself had been strange as Amanda had mentioned...how did they know the booking was for five? On arrival there was four of us but the man behind the bar said "booking for five?" And at the end of the night...when we were served our desserts we had all been thinking we could really do with some water but none of us had spoken up...suddenly the staff appeared with a jug of water and four glasses. Were the staff at the Woodman also psychic?...We were strangely impressed. It had been a fantastic evening...despite the absence of Danielle. The restaurant had been superb, the food and service had been far beyond our expectations and everyone seemed so much more happier and relaxed at the end of the night. We left our little card on the table, paid our bill and then ran away giggling. We squealed and laughed as once again the little car twisted and turned like a rollercoaster through the winding country roads...our faces hurt from laughing and I was desperately trying to hold onto a wee as we jumped around in the back seat. Despite us all having different happy places...I think at the end of the night we all shared one happy place in common...The Intellectual Dinner Club.

Catherine x

What Makes You Happy? - Part 2 : Finding a 'Happy Place.'

When I first gave the theme out to the girls Danielle laughed predictably. I knew as I wrote it that she would say (with a wink and a nudge) that she knew where her "happy" place was and sure enough she did! But I knew that most of us had all been feeling a bit down lately and not very happy and that's what inspired me to get the girls to seek out the place that makes them happy. There are a few times and places where I have felt truly happy and when I am feeling down I forget about those times and tend to wallow in self-pity and then I start to feel unhappy again. By completing this theme I want to have something that I can look at to be reminded where it was or what it was that made me happy and then hopefully it will make me feel happier again...I hope that makes sense. I'm intrigued to find out at the next dinner what the girls have done for their themes...as always at Christmas time it gets harder to find the time to complete our themes, but we always do. Right now I'm just putting the finishing touches to mine whilst sitting in front of the television watching 'Meet Me in St Louis' and eating my fourth piece of chocolate...okay I'm lying it's my sixth...I'm past caring and it's Christmas! I really like taking a bit of time out from all of the hustle and bustle to put my theme together, a bit of time off from the world. What would I do without the Intellectual Dinner Club?

Catherine xx

Table for Five?

I have just booked the table for our next meal; well kind of booked it as they are not taking reservations for midweek bookings until December, but I was assured that there wouldn’t be a problem with seating us. The lady on the phone then asked if it was a table for five to which I replied, yes - how did she know it was for five? I was too taken aback to ask and have now convinced myself that our reputation precedes us.

Each month we book under a different name and for this month I chose Atticus. Anyone who has read ‘To Kill a Mockingbird’ will understand my choice. Carrying on from last month’s theme I chose this novel from the big read challenge; not quite sure how I’ve managed to miss out on such a great classic. Atticus Finch is a role model for all men and for all fathers and I have fallen head-over-heels for him. I find myself wanting to be a better person for him and the example that he sets. It’s really hard sometimes to see beyond yourself and step into another persons shoes, but Atticus sets a benchmark to live by. What an amazing piece of literature that gives us such wonderful human characters that they can become a part of our lives and enrich our souls.

Amanda xxx

October Meeting - Update

“It’s Hilary Devey”

I can’t believe how quickly this year is going. It doesn’t seem like two minutes since our January meeting and here we are with 47 sleeps till Christmas. Halloween had come and gone and, in just a couple of days it was going to be Bonfire Night. I was shattered. Having had a particularly nasty bout of flu, I was feeling wiped out and knackered and the amount of make-up I was having to apply in the morning in order to not scare small children was going to rival Boots.Stress, illness and just a general feeling of tiredness had also affected the other witches, but we were all looking forward to a great evening and Dani was back with us !!!

After a frantic journey, we made it to the Weavers in Golcar. The Weavers has been a successful restaurant for 40 years and has recently undergone a refurbishment. The conversion is stunning, with a cosy seating area for the bar and an ample, luxury space for diners. Amanda particularly coveted the union jack chairs and I had my eye on the very funky wine coolers!

Even though we arrived late, the staff kindly let us have the early bird. The starters were lovely. We had the Yorkshire Ham Terrine, Salmon Gravadlax and the spring roll (not all at the same time!) The food was beautifully presented and very tasty. Conversation turned to new phones, our childhood cuddly toys (Ken the Dog!!) and the fact that Pringles have a new flavour. The mains arrived promptly after – Fish and Chips, Stilton and Leek Strudel and mushrooms and clams. I had the strudel and it was yummy and very light, I didn’t feel over-faced by it.  Catherine was in danger of not finishing her main as we had a particularly meaty conversation about eyeballs which only ended when we realised Catherine had gone a peculiar shade of green!!! The desserts looked particularly yummy, and we settled on sticky toffee pudding with butterscotch sauce and custard. Thse were delicious. Dani decided on a coffee and it arrived with a homemade truffle. As Danielle doesn’t like chocolate, she tried to divide her truffle into 4 pieces with a spoon for us to share. 

James, our waiter, seeing the fact that a very expensive truffle was threatening  to fly across the restaurant into another diner’s lap, offered to bring us a truffle each. We all thought this was a lovely gesture and agreed that the service for the evening as well as the food had been really great. 

And so to our theme, I had asked the ladies to each read a book from the Big Read list composed by the public in 2005. We all picked very different books and then to compose our own top 10s.  The books we opted to read were Good Omens by Terry Pratchett (Phoebe), Kane and Abel by Jeffrey Archer (Amanda), 1984 by George Orwell (me), Wuthering Heights by Emily Bronte (Catherine) and Perfume by Patrick Suskind(Danielle). Years ago on the Fast Show, there used to be a character who presented a jazz show. He dressed in a black polo neck, corduroy jacket and every now and then would turn to the camera and go “nice”. We all became the female version of this character during our reviews , with heads on one side, thoughtful faces, intellectually placed fingers and saying “Interesting”a lot. But do you know what? It proper was. We had all picked books we would not normally read and for Catherine, had picked a book she had been meaning to read for ages and ended up loving. Our own top 10’s were a real mixed bag and it was brilliant seeing what my fellow witches loved to read. 

We decided to take some pictures of the lot of us. When we handed the camera to James, we did not realise that we were in the presence of a photographic genius! Catherine was sat on a high backed chair with her coat on the back. The angle of the picture taken by her made her look like she had shoulders worthy of an American linebacker! Amanda took one look at the photo and said “It’s Hilary Devey” from Dragon’s Den. Suddenly all the stresses of the past month were forgotten as we all completely lost the plot, laughing so hard, with tears streaming down our faces. I laughed so hard tears, my sides ached the next morning. Priceless!!

And so ended another brilliant evening in lovely company, roll on the next one!!





Can you spot Hilary?





October's Dinner

The theme this month is called 'The Big Read Challenge.' It's a challenge in four parts and this is what we have all had to do:

1. What's your number? Go through the Big Read list and count up how many books you have read.

2. Read one of the books off the list that you haven't already read

3. Review that book and present your review to the group

4. Do your own top 10 books of all time

The Big Read was shown on the BBC in 2003, it's aim was to find Britain's best-loved novel and the British public voted for the books that they loved the most! Click on the link here and have a look for yourself www.bbc.co.uk/arts/bigread/top100.shtml

This month we will be dining out at The Weaver's, which used to be known as The Weaver's Shed. The Intellectual Dinner Club visited The Weaver's Shed back in 2009 when we first began our club and since then it has been sold and re-launched as The Weaver's...we thought it only right that The Intellectual Dinner Club pay them a visit and have a nosy around! We can't wait!

September's dinner

I love autumn. It's my most favourite season of the whole year. I love the nip in the air, the nights drawing in and any excuse to cosy up at home with a good book or some telly goggling. September is still the beginning of autumn right? Or am I much mistaken, the really crazy high pressure that came swooping over the country gave us a serious Indian summer to remember. I had already got my boots and opaques ready for the new season when suddenly I was having to shave my legs so I could wear skirts and shorts again, it was so hot! Not that we're complaining, we all enjoyed a last glorious blaze of sunshine. So the evening of our meal began with us heading out in Catherine's car with the windows open, wearing something summery and listening to some cool Portuguese tunes, it felt a bit like being on holiday. We were optimistic for some enjoyment; despite being a member down again (Dannie's work commitments meant she wouldn't be joining us).

Off we went to the Golden Cock in Thurstonland, a nice friendly pub with a reputation for good food. After soaking up the beautiful country views in the last rays as the sun went down, we went into the pub which was bustling. We were given a choice of where to sit and went for the quieter dining area which has an attractive bar with stained glass decoration. As we ordered and settled down with our drinks the conversation was pleasant and relaxed but to be honest we were all a bit tired. For some of us work had been stressful this month and we all had stuff going on either at work or at home, so the mood wasn't quite so boisterous as usual, we were all just enjoying chatting and forgetting our woes. Whilst we waited for our main courses, the young waiter came and told us that one of the meals would take a little longer, we said that was ok but could they bring us some olives or something to nibble on. We got a basket of bread and vinegar and some amazing olives, all free of charge – fantastic. This kept us going until the meals arrived. Catherine and Amanda had chicken dishes and Caroline went for a lovely pie, all of which was delicious. I ordered sticky ribs, wedges, corn on the cob, coleslaw and salad, wow it was enough for four at least. But i was starving so I dove in and it was great. Of course there was a little room for pudding and I had a mango and passion fruit parfait which was lovely and Caroline and Catherine both went for a blackberry bakewell tart which looked really good. Amanda ordered her usual latte but was disappointed when it arrived. It didn't look like a latte and she told the waitress so. The second attempt looked better, but it still wasn't up to scratch! I think the coffee machine let them down a bit. However there were absolutely no other negative things about our evening at the Golden Cock. The service was fantastic, the atmosphere was buzzing and the food top notch and reasonably priced too. We would recommend it.

So to the theme, I had asked the ladies to relax this month. I had in mind a nice easy theme which everyone would have no trouble getting on with. I thought we could all do with a spot of R and R. We all talked about what helps us to relax: for me it's yoga and meditation and the odd cheeky glass of wine, for Caroline it's clearing her mind with a good run, Catherine enjoyed the delights of a TV program called The Real Housewives of New York and chilling on the sofa and Amanda found peace on an early morning walk through Honley. Though we all had one thing in common...it's not easy to make time to relax. Life seems to take over and we found that relaxing or making time for you is not high on the list of priorities, in fact we often found ourselves doing other things when we were meant to be relaxing! And when you do get time to do something just for you, there’s the tendency to feel a bit guilty. We decided that it is really important to chill out now and then and we must not feel bad about it!

Our conversations for the evening drifted from the joys of wearing giant underwear to suck you in to people with funny laughs (not saying any names!) and my cat Boris' new girlfriend. Enough to say that we had a lovely evening and one of the best ways to relax is to hang out with your mates eating lovely food and having a good laugh. I went home feeling refreshed, particularly full up and relaxed until I realised that I had forgotten my keys and was locked out at 11pm. Anyway, it turns out that stargazing on a balmy night while you wait for someone to turn up with a key is quite relaxing too!    
                                                     
                                                      Phoebe xx

Phoebe xx

Tackling September's Theme

It's been a tricky theme and with the next dinner now less than a week away I'm starting to panic when I should actually be relaxing. In my attempts so far I have managed to glue my eye together with a face mask and then I fell down the stairs...what can I say it's not really going very well. Any tips or suggestions to help me chill out then please leave a comment...they will be greatly appreciated!

Catherine xx

September's Theme

Sit back, relax, chill out, kick back, unwind, take it easy, hang loose, mellow out…

…whatever you want to call it. This month is dedicated to the art of relaxation. Maybe try a new way to do it or stick to your tried and tested ways. Be prepared to share your experiences with the group.

August's Meeting

August is always a tricky month for the Intellectual Dinner Club, someone is always going on holiday or doing something exciting and so it was only natural that we decided to move the next dinner in to September. We did the same thing last year...although the memory of that is quite disturbing...an empty restaurant, Jamiroquai playing on a loop and a nice big hair in our chocolate brownie dessert! This year however the restaurant looked more promising, a friendly pub set in the picturesque village of Thurstonland, which promised us a homely atmosphere with some good pub grub!

Caviar of the North!

The first couple of weeks in September had been hard and we were all feeling slightly exhausted from hectic weeks at work. In some ways it was no real surprise that Amanda had decided that for the first time ever she just couldn't face a night out, and so Caroline, Phoebe, Danielle and I made our way around the windy roads of Holmfirth towards the Rose and Crown. We were greeted at the door by a little dog who willingly accepted our cuddles as we slowly made our way over to the bar. The staff were friendly and relaxed and the restaurant was buzzing with people enjoying themselves. This looked good! It was the first time that we had seen Dani since the magazine article came out and so of course we brought a copy with us to once again laugh at our picture and dissect the other groups featured. We all agreed that the magazine had saved the best group until last! Amanda's absence was strange...there was something a little unsettling about not having her with us...who would argue with Dani? Purse their lips in disapproval? Order a latte? It just wasn't the same. We ordered our food from the blackboard and squealed with delight when we discovered that we could have three courses for the bargain price of just £13.95! We were all starving and so we decided to order up big! Phoebe and I ordered creamy garlic mushrooms, Caroline the vegetable soup and Dani ordered the chicken liver pate of course. They all arrived quickly and we delved in to the mountain of delicious food. For our mains it was a unanimous decision 'Caviar of the North' as the waitress put it...or rather fish and chips. It was a good choice, although a rather large choice...gigantic chips accompanied a Moby Dick sized fish topped with mushy peas, tartar sauce and lemon wedges (to add an exotic twist!) The food was delicious and given the price we were definitely getting our money's worth...with excellent service thrown in too.

Our conversation tonight had somehow turned to growing old...depressing I know but with Dani there it had started to become hilarious. We all discussed what we would be like as old women...Phoebe would be a straw hat wearing, rosy cheeked, slightly senile old lady, whilst it was determined that I would be a Marks and Spencer loyalist, wearing my odd clothing covered in flower prints, a rain bonnet for every occasion and wrinkly pop socks. Caroline wouldn't change a bit...still youthful but with a full head of silver hair.  Danielle would be exactly as she is now but old...trapped in the noughties with her style, energetic, flirting with the old men and wheeling a very old and grumpy Amanda around in her wheel chair...the pair of them still arguing and debating! Amanda when not in her chair complaining would be speeding around on her shop mobility scooter, knocking people out of the way...not a care in the world...but still looking fabulous of course! Our conversation carried on throughout dessert, sticky toffee pudding and raspberry tarts all served with cream. It seemed wrong to be squeezing a pudding in but it was included in the price and so was absolutely necessary.

 And so we turned to our theme 'Discover Your Inner Child' as selected by Danielle. It had taken me a while to figure out how I was going to approach this theme and after begging my husband to take me to Moomin Land whilst we were on holiday, and failing to convince him it was vital for the successful completion of my theme, I settled on a project that I had started a few years ago called 'Mr Cow.' As a little girl I always loved writing and illustrating my own stories so I dug out some old pictures I had drawn of a well loved toy called Mr Cow. For my theme I produced a picture book, which told the story of Mr Cow the travelling cow and I presented it by reading my book to the girls and introducing them to the real Mr Cow at the end of the story...who was quietly hiding in the bottom of my bag. I loved this theme and couldn't wait to see how the others had approached it. Phoebe went back to her childhood days of Saturday morning television, sitting in front of the TV, her T-shirt pulled over her knees and eating her cereal. Phoebe talked about how she discovered a new kids TV program called 'Almost Naked Animals!' But it still didn't compare to the days of Button Moon, Thundercats (Hooooooo!), Teenage Mutant Ninja Turtles and

Fun House...complete with Pat Sharpe and his big, long, hairy mullet! Caroline had prepared her theme before she jetted off to Barbados (she just had to remind us for the millionth time that she had been to Barbados) and talked about the childhood excitement of going on family holidays to Scarborough. Packing up all of their things, which usually ended up being four T-shirts and a pair of knickers. The smell of the hotel, donkey rides on the beach and playing bingo in the arcades. Even thirty years later she still gets the same excitement and anticipation before going on holiday as she did as a child...but then you would if you were going to Barbados, all-inclusive with cocktails served on the beach at ten thirty in the morning! Finally Danielle presented her theme and in true Danielle style she admitted she hadn't done it...tonight she was free styling! Dani admitted that even now she still considers herself to be a child...her holiday this year was to Disneyland, she watches a Disney movie nearly every day and earlier this week she had thrown a huge temper tantrum. So she decided to turn the theme around and find her outer adult...it's time to grow up a bit she said. But before she finished she told us some stories about her childhood...and then presented us all with a ginger bread man, because that's what her Mum always bought her as a little girl when they were out shopping.

It was time to pay the bill and make our way home. It had been another fantastic evening, despite Amanda's absence and we had tried to make the best of it even though it felt strange to be there without her. A few more cuddles with the dog as we left and we descended into the dark, chilly night, our bellies full and feeling content. We climbed into the car as Phoebe frantically searched for her glasses only to realise she had never brought them with her. What were we saying about the slightly senile Phoebe as an old lady...could it have begun already?  Another month had been put to bed, personally it had been a difficult one and I was glad to say goodbye, but knowing that we have the Intellectual Dinner Club at the end of each month gets me through the difficult times. I just hope that next month we will all be back together...here in our honey pot for any kind of bee! ;-)

Catherine xx

Missing our Amanda!

August's Theme

With less than a week to go I think I've set myself an over ambitious task to find my inner child. I'm slightly worried...I don't know how I'm going to get this done. We've put the dinner back a bit, which is why we are having August's dinner in September. We have all been away, Caroline finally returned from a very la-dee-da holiday in Barbados on Tuesday with a very nice tan but horrible jet-lag so we thought it only fair we postpone our next dinner. This you would think would give me plenty of time to finish the theme but sadly not...it's going to be a last minute rush to try and piece my inner child together. For the first time ever I may have to present a half complete theme...I'm so ashamed! I can't wait for Thursday...I'm so excited to be back with the girls and I'm really intrigued to know what they have done for their themes and how they've all found their inner child. I've definitely found mine...in fact I don't think it ever went away!

Catherine xx

Thinking about this month's theme

For this months theme we have to "find our inner child" and throw off the shackles of adult life. We can do something that takes 10 minutes or 10 hours - we just have to make sure that we document it ready for the next meeting.

I thought that I would find an old photo of me as a little girl just to remind myself. So here I am sporting a gorgeous little orange number and carrying it off with real style.

Amanda xxx

Sainsbury's Magazine

The wait is over as this months Sainsbury’s magazine is now out, and we are in there. Our club is featured in an article that looks at a new wave of inspirational and modern women’s clubs, so be sure to go and get yourself a copy.

As followers of our blog will know, the photo shoot for the article took place at The Three Acres and we would all like to say a massive thank you to the staff there for making the day so special.

The magazine came out on Wednesday and our local branch of Sainsbury’s must have been rather bemused as we each excitedly went in and purchased multiple copies of the magazine. That evening we decided to celebrate in style when Caroline invited us all round to her place for ‘fish & chips and champagne’. We may have had a taste of fame but we won’t forget our roots.