October Outings & Activities

Our outing to Liverpool by train to see the Terracotta Army Exhibition was our most ambitious so far. The outward journey went smoothly and everyone was at the World Museum in good time for our allotted entry time of 2:30 pm

A group of just seven warriors formed the main display taken from the vast Chinese terracotta army…much of which still remains buried in China.

The Terracotta Army is a collection of terracotta sculptures depicting the armies of Qin Shi Huang, the first Emperor of China. It is a form of funerary art buried with the emperor in 210–209 BCE and whose purpose was to protect the emperor in his afterlife.(Wikipedia)

Of course, there was much more to see…chariots & horses…explanatory videos…models of how the warriors were made…all presented with taste and imagination. Everyone was impressed and thought it an excellent exhibition. The return journey was severely affected by Storm Callum that caused havoc with rail services in the south of Wales which in turn had a knock-on effect as far north as Crewe. The train from Crewe to Stoke was held up by a mattress on the track…then by something stuck to the overhead cable. However, the hold-ups just added to the adventure as we concocted ever wilder explanations for the delays. Great day out!

October Meeting

There was a good turn out for the October meeting at which we welcomed several new faces…who we hope will become regulars. The evening was devoted to our first lantern making workshop with Hilary and Emily from B-Arts. Even someone not keen on making things had a go…and was glad he came. Working in pairs opened up the opportunity for people to talk freely in a relaxed, safe environment. It also helped having a confident, experienced and inspirational leader like Hilary.

It was agreed to run the next 3 workshops on Wednesdays 7th, 14th and 21st of Nov at 2pm at B arts in their upstairs space, people to come in via the bakery shutter door, we will go on until 4ish. If people travel by bus …B Arts is on the 25 and 11 route Hanley to Newcastle. Parking is always a problem …but there is free on-street parking on Hartshill Road…just a short walk away.

Our outings and workshops are part of the Older LGBT Wellbeing Project funded by the People’s Health Trust using money raised by HealthFair through the Health Lottery