Our first face-to-face meeting in 18 months was hosted by our new chair, Pete. It took place in a quintessential Hampshire village, where timber-framed, red-tiled houses nestle round an ancient church.
It was wonderful to talk to friends, old and new, and to be able to puzzle alongside each other at last. The final determined few had to be ejected at 6 p.m. We hope that it will be possible for even more of us to meet in future.
Eleven members offered ‘Show and Tell’ puzzles on the theme of History (two in absentia, one of whom joined us via flickr from America). As you would expect, puzzles about kings and queens and famous battles predominated, – no-one could top Nicky’s puzzle of the 1797 Battle of Camperdown, as the protagonist on the losing side was her ancestor!
There were also interesting puzzles reflecting social history, including the Thames frozen over in 1860, the maiden voyage of the Titanic, and Paris dressmakers during the Belle Époque.
The sun shone all day, and organisers made sure that there was no danger of running short of cake…