With enthusiasm still bubbling over from our weekend in Newtownards, keen members descended on Magherafelt, where our hosts, Anthony & Geraldine and Willie & Maureen, were ready and waiting to welcome us to our lovely new venue at Sperrin Integrated College. It was especially good to see Anthony & Geraldine back on the road again with their motorhome, having made a full recovery from its gearbox surgery.
This weekend marked the first of a double-header for The Ramblers, with the ever-popular County Comes to Town festival just around the corner. However, first things first. With summer behind us and the autumn equinox fast approaching, there was no time to waste. Handbrakes were on and into the hall we went to renew old acquaintances.
Friday night, of course, is Bingo Night, and the hall soon resounded with cries of “House!” and the familiar jingle-jangle of winnings pouring into pockets. The prize fund was a real whopper and made for a great start to the weekend for Tony & Jacqui, who each won a round, including the Big One! Afterwards, members made their own entertainment with plenty of conversation, while Norman provided some background music.
The usual Saturday stroll took members around the town, where everyone did their best to boost the local economy before the Saturday Social arrived that evening. It proved to be a wonderful mix of entertainment and merriment, with the returning Niall McHenry treating us to a truly brilliant evening of music and craic. There was only a brief pause for the raffle and a well-deserved breather before the dancing resumed. By the end of the night, everyone was on the dancefloor, jumping to the beat. A sound night's sleep was assured.
Coffee morning provided the usual cheerful pre-departure gathering as members reflected on a brilliant and atmospheric weekend. Led by Joe, there was resounding applause for all the hard work of our hosts. It was a culinary delight too, with our hosts demonstrating their baking prowess and supplying a wonderful selection of goodies.
A very warm welcome was also extended to our newest members, Susan, Avril and Stephen and John & Violet. There were celebrations too for birthday boy Alan Fluke, while congratulations were in order for Gary & Marion, who were giving their new van its first weekend outing. With that, it was back into the vans and home for a short stay before we hit the road again for Portadown and the annual festival of music that is County Comes to Town. All for the bargain price of just £10 per night.
See y'all there!
The Rambling Writer