Days Out
Leader: Barbara Bliss
Organised visits to places of interest, travelling by coach or other transport. Trip duration varies depending on venue.
Grow Your Own Vegetables
Leader: Eric Hess – blog: http://treesrockandwater.BlogSpot.com
An opportunity to learn from the group leader’s experience and to share group experiences in growing vegetables. A mixture of practical and theory. Leader’s early background working in agriculture abroad. After returning to the UK he established a Horticultural Project for Adults with Learning Difficulties, focusing on growing and selling vegetables.
Topics will include:
- preparing the soil
- growing winter vegetables
- pests
- sowin
Clothing: Hats and closed shoes
- Group is still operating
- When: Monday mornings from 11 am – flexibility to suit the group
- Duration: 1 hour
- Location: Gordon Road Allotments, London, N3 1EL – off Elm Park Road and Nether Street near Finchley Central station
- Frequency: Monthly
- Charges: 50p donation for refreshments
- Number of places: 8
Lawn Bowls
Leader: Patricia Taylor, assisted by Phyllis Ellis
Seven-week course: coaching and introduction to lawn bowls. Learn the rules of the game and how to play lawn bowls. You will be able to enjoy informal games with other members, and gain confidence in delivering all types of shots. You learn how to score, deliver the small jack on the rink to start play, and which shots to choose to play.
- Start dates: Resuming Spring 2020
- When: Mondays 2 pm – 4 pm
- Location: Temple Fortune Club, 122 Bridge Lane, NW11 9JS
- Frequency: Weekly
- Charges: £3.00 per session (includes tea and biscuits) to club payable through coach
- Number of places: 15
- Notes: All equipment provided. Just wear comfortable clothing and flat soled shoes
- Booking: Necessary
Photography in London
Leaders: Michael Jacobs & Roger Cookson
A group that meets alternately at a London venue to take photos, and at a location where we can show each other our best photos of the venue projected on a screen, and discuss them. Outside locations will be notified to members a week in advance.
It’s intended to be a fun-oriented group rather than a technocratic, competitive society.
- Shootings continue with members keeping 2 metres apart. Screenings suspended until further notice.
- When: Wednesday. Shootings start at 10 am and screenings from 10.30 am – 12 noon a fortnight later
- Location: Shooting takes place at various London locations, and screenings are held at Alyth Synagogue, Alyth Gardens, NW11 7EN
- Frequency: Fortnightly, alternating between location shooting and screening
- Charges: We will not go to locations that levy charges without prior agreement of the group, but participants will be expected to make their own travel arrangements
- Number of places: 15
Theatre
See Music & Theatre
Walking Groups
We currently have three walking groups:
-
- Historical London Walks
- Short Sunday Walks
- Thames Path in London & Other Walks
The Historic London Walks tend to make frequent stops to look at landmarks en route, whereas the Thames Path in London group focuses more on walking. Short Sunday Walks are closer to home and less demanding.
Historical London Walks
Leader: Simon Sackman and Philip Tobin
Get to know London better!These are walks in inner and outer London that explore new places and look more closely at more familiar ones to find out about their history, buildings and the people who lived there. Areas walked in 2018/2019 included Enfield, Hackney, Marylebone, Roman London and the Inns of Court.
Walks start from a station within the Freedom Pass area and end at the same or different station. Walks are led by members of the group; new members willing to lead occasional walks are particularly welcome! Notes on the historical background together with a description of the proposed route are circulated in advance. The length of walks varies but participants can expect to walk with some standing for 2 hours. There will be a short coffee/comfort stop along the way. Walks normally finish around 1 pm, but a few may offer the option of a lunch and early afternoon extension.
- Currently paused
- When: Wednesday morning – contact Leader
- Duration: Usually about 2½ hours (plus travelling time)
- Frequency: Monthly
- Number of places: 25 members can register for this group, but a maximum of 15 places are available on each walk
- Currently full with a short waiting list
Short Sunday Walks
Leader: Daphne Berkovi
For members who want to walk more locally than further afield, once a month on a Sunday morning, ending at a café for refreshments.
- Currently paused
- When: Starting at 10.15 am
- Duration: 45 minutes – 1 hour excluding refreshments
- Frequency: Monthly
- Charges: Café refreshments
- Maximum number of places: 15
- Advance booking necessary: Yes please to group leader
Thames Path in London & Other Walks
Leader: David Powers
Walking is an excellent way to get and keep fit. We try to get into the fresh air away from busy roads, exploring not only the Thames, but London’s canals, waterways, and green spaces. The length of each walk varies, but is generally 4–4½ miles, sometimes longer. We usually break in the middle for coffee. We walk at a moderately brisk pace, but not so fast that it’s impossible to talk. In fact, good conversation is one of the many pleasures of this group.
Joining instructions for each walk are usually sent out a few days in advance. Most of us meet in the ticket hall of Golders Green station shortly after 9 am (the actual time depends on where the walk starts); but others join at the starting point at 10.15 am if Golders Green isn’t convenient. The walk usually finishes at 12.30 pm or 1.00 pm close to a pub or reasonably priced café/restaurant. Most members stay for lunch, but there’s no obligation to do so.
Most walks are about an hour by public transport away from the HGS area. Walks continue throughout the year rain or shine (unless it would be dangerous to do so).
- Currently paused. Will resume when government lifts advice to over-70s to self-isolate.
- When: Second and fourth Friday of each month
- Location: Starting and end points are usually within the Freedom Pass zone
- Charges: Pay for own food and drink
- Number of places: 15
- Notes: Comfortable walking shoes essential