Saturday, 31 July 2010
men
St. Paul's mens group events are open to all the menfolk of St. Paul's family and their (male) guests. If you are not sure who to ask, or there is something you wish we were doing or you would like to organise something - contact Peter Clarke or Steve Holt or email This e-mail address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it

Ten Pin Bowling

 Ten PinTen Pin

Ten Pin

One Tuesday evening the men of St Paul's went bowling at the David Lloyd Centre, Raynes Park. Despite our best efforts, some of the pins were knocked down some of the time. There were a wide variety of bowling styles on show from the expert to the not so.

 It was a fantastic opportunity to get together with other men and talk over a pint and we all had a great time. Thanks Eric for organising it! 
 
Breakfast

Dave Hopwood

One Saturday morning 50 men got together for a cooked breakfast, fresh coffee, cereals and fruit. Not only that, we got to meet Dave Hopwood who talked to us about what it was to be a Christian man. Dave has a love of film and used lots of film clips to illustrate his talk. We had a fantastic time.

Breakfast
 
Crunchie Awards
The crunchie awardAt the men's annual international meal on 14th October the famous Crunchie awards were presented for services above and beyond the call of duty. Shown right is Andy Bosom modestly receiving an award on behalf of Jonathan Melville-Thomas for organising mountain biking. Awards also went to David Baker for the brewery visit, Richard Warner for the regular pub nights, Mike Simpson for the birdwatching trip and Steve Procter for men's meals.
 
Mountain Biking
Mountain BikingA group of 8 intrepid mountain bikers had a go at the trail ride from the Queen Elizabeth Park near Petersfield. The ride was through the glorious countryside of the South Downs and had a mixture of moderate & difficult bits, but we all managed it with the odd puncture & bike repair on the way. A couple of extra keen riders also took on the advanced short MB ride in the park and still made it to the pub for lunch. The church kindly loaned us the Minibus to get there which worked out well once we cracked the puzzle of how to get bikes & people into a relatively confined space without the driver having a bike wheel in his ear. A good day was had by all so why don’t you come next time.
 
Brewery Trip

Based at the Griffin Brewery in Chiswick, between the Thames and the Hogarth Roundabout, Fuller's has been brewing beer since 1845. After a brief tasting whilst we waited for latecomers, we donned fluorescent jackets to make us look official and ventured into the depths of the brewery. Thanks to David Baker’s incomparable contacts, we were hosted by none other than the brewing manager, an old colleague. The brewery is a serious place, but still very much in touch with it’s roots, with some of the old equipment still kept in place. It was clear they were keen to do it right, more than to cut costs. Afterwards we tasted even more beers including a vintage 2005! A really good time was had by all.

Brewery

 
Pub Night
Every second Monday in the month the men of St Paul’s gather for a beer and a chat at the pub. Everyone is welcome and it’s a good way of getting to know people. We meet at the Albert Arms, 57 Kingston Hill (that’s on the corner opposite the hospital) and we are usually tucked away in a little room off to the side of the main bar. See you there!
 
Bird Watching
In September a few of us set out to visit Barnes Wetlands. Located on the banks of the River Thames in Barnes, Southwest London, the centre is a spectacular 43 hectare reserve with brilliant hides and, of course, lots of birds. Mike Simpson took us round and helped us spot a vast array of birds, some of them quite rare. A fantastic day and at least one converted to bird watching.