Cheeky Pre-Christmas Skiing
10-17th December
Tignes
It's always a worry whether or not there'll be enough snow when planning
an early-season trip. This was no exception, since the resort webcam was
showing grass everywhere just a week before departure!
We needn't have worried however, since we were blessed
with over a metre of fresh snow in the days before our arrival and regular
heavy snow throughout the week. A superb week's skiing was had by all
- powder paradise!!
The latest ski plans, as they unfold, can always be found on the our dedicated
ski page.
The Christmas Skite
Friday December 2nd
2000 @Cumberland
Arms
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Gentlemen made a change from their usual venue and decided on the
Cumberland Arms. A cosy Skite was enjoyed by a wider than usual group,
all comfortably ensconsed by the roaring fire - fine for a cold and wintry
night.
We discussed all the usual rubbish, including our forthcoming ski trips, although our plans to make it into town never happened - a side-effect of having a selection of fine ales on tap!
Click here for a map.
Quad Biking
Saturday September 24th
1600 @ Skirmish
Paintball
Black Heddon
The Gentlemen have tried quad-biking on a number of occasions and always
find it highly amusing.
This time we changed venue to try the new setup at Skirmish, and found it very different from our usual place. We were a little disappointed in the lack of rain (we we hoping to be doing a fair bit of mud spattering); but delighted with the course. It was a lot more "technical" than normal, but all the Gentlement managed to get round.
Beers afterwards were slightly delayed thanks to the NGS trailer parting company with one of its wheels. Fortunately it was on a quiet country road. Ever resourceful, the Gentlemen managed a roadside repair and made it back to the Collingwood in one piece.
Bordeaux/Pauillac
France
Yes, you read that correctly - a marathon! More specifically, 26.5 miles
of running between some of the finest châteaux of the region; this
is the longest marathon in the world.
Since this is French, it's done in style - the route was lined with 22 refreshment stands and 21 "gourmet" stands - these serve tastings of some of France's finest wines and produce. Our strategy this year maximised the finer wines, but once again the weather didnt help - 28C for most of it.
The Gentlemen enjoyed fine dining at the house and continued the wine-tasting theme throughout the weekend.
September
Skite & Durham
Beer Festival
Friday September 2nd
Students' Union
Durham
The Gentlemen love Beer Festivals, and this one conveniently coincides with the September Skite.
Some of the intrepid marathon
athletes decided to run down to the festival as part of their training
plan - and made it with stopping for just one pint on the way.
A fine range of ales was sampled, and the Gentlemen even managed to make
the last train to the town - allowing them to settle into the Benton Ale
House for a few cheeky lasties.
Quad Biking
Saturday August 6th
1600 @ Fury Events
Witton Gilbert
The Gentlemen have tried quad-biking on a number of occasions and always
find it highly amusing.
Our last attempt was a quad-biking/shooting combined event; this time we're going for double quad-biking! Come and join us (£65 payable on the day) for a couple of hours of motorised mayhem. Hopefully it'll rain Fri/Sat morning so expect to get muddy; dress accordingly.
We'll need to celebrate our achievements (or otherwsie) with a beer or two afterwards, so bring beer and curry tokens.
The August Skite
Friday August 5th
2000 @ Brandling
Villa
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Society has decided to venture to a suburban pub for this month's
Skite - the Brandling Villa in South Gosforth (click here for a map
- Metro South Gosforth)
Join us for the usual round of chitchat and beers, and probably a curry afterwards. We're going quad-biking the following day, so we'll be in high spritis in anticipation. We've also got marathon training to plan for the coming Sunday - where do we have the wine tasting stops?
Alpe
d'Huez
Triathlon
July 26th-28th
Alpe
d'Huez
France
On the back of a stunning performance in last year's Marathon
du Médoc, some of the Gentlemen were foolhardy enough to enter
The Alpe
d'Huez Triathlon.
This is one of the hardest triathlons in the world, and our athletes all completed it in good time. There's a 1.2km swim, followed by a 27km cylce up the Alpe d'Huez - the famed difficult ascent of the last stage of the Tour de France, followed by a 7km run. This stuff is hard-as-nails!
However, the Gentlemen trained well and added a secret key to success: a barrel of Wylam Gold Tankard and a proper beer pump, transported all the way to the Alpes. Apart from the main event, they enjoyed spending a week playing golf, mountain biking and generally relaxing.
The July Skite
Friday July 1st
1830 @ Osbornes
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Society decided on a slight change of venue for the July Skite, which
also coincided with Canada
Day.
We returned to Osborne's in Jesmond for an evening of light-hearted chat and entertainment. The weather held for beers on the terrace, where a large group caught up over a few pints.
There were plans for a curry in the Carriage, but they were ditched in favour of a trip to Mr Lynch - and from there, into the town.
Saturday June 18th
1154 Train from Ncl
Corbridge
The Gentlemen love Beer Festivals, and this is their favourite - not only because it's a great day out, but because we usually sponsor the event; something we were unable to do this year.
Members convened from all over Europe to descend on this event. The weather wasn't quite in our favour, but that didn't detract from enjoying the beers. Despite a later start than intended, a full range of beers was sampled before the crowd headed into Newcastle for a cheeky few at the Carriage in anticiapation of a curry.
Despite the afternoon at the festival, the hard-core group was able to make it to the Free Trade for lasties before retiring homewards for a glass or two wine as a nightcap.
Cycling in The Lakes
Friday
June 10th
High Wray Basecamp
Windermere
England
The Gentlemen are becoming worrying interested in outdoorsy-type events
- the latest being the Sam
Houghton Mountain Bike Challenge.
Without doing any research or training, the team turned up at the event start line to receive withering looks when enquiring about whether or not there were any decent pubs on the route. We soon found out why - devoid of any kind of track, the Gentlemen found themselves hurtling down remote, boulder-strewn hillsides at breakneck speeds. The ascent was anything but breakneck; however. For those facying this for next year, be warned: this is a hard-core event.
We recovered in the shelter of the Hawkshead Brewery before retiring to our lodgings at High Wray, where the fire was stoked and the beer was imbibed.
The June Skite
Friday June 3rd
1930 @ The Central
Newcastle upon Tyne
Yet another superb Skite was enjoyed at this splendid little bar, and
the weather held for us to enjoy the roof terrace. Unlike the last time
we tried this, it was actually warm too!
The Gentlemen discussed the issues of the day over a beer, made plans they later forgot about and generally whiled away the evening.
No curry was pursued due to the curry plans being in place for this coming Tuesday.
Culture in London
Friday
May 13th
18:10 train from Newcastle
London
England
It's not often the Society heads to our great capital city, so we thought
it was about time to put this right
The trip got off to a civilised start as the Gentlemen enjoyed wine and cheese on the train to London, followed by a curry on arrival and lasties in our temporary local.
The weekend was taken up with tours of the Houses of Parliament, The Churchill War Rooms and the Science Museum, amongst other things. Naturally the evenings were given over to the conviviality of a few quiet beers, whilst lunchtime was a chance for a bit of relaxation over a pint and a spot of food.
Saturday May 7th
1200 in Civic Centre
Newcastle
The Society was fortunate enough to attend the first of these events in the region, and now looks forward to these every year.
The Gentlemen made it to the door shortly after noon and put in a great deal of effort to taste as many of the fine drams on offer. Individual tastes vary, but overall the palates with excited and delighted in equal measure. The society repaired to Bacchus to compare tasting notes over a pint or two.
Those fine chaps at the Koh I Noor provided much needed comestibles after the event; although the resulting dearth of energy after the exertion of the day meant that lasties was restricted to the Bridge Hotel.
The May Skite
Friday May 6th
1930 @ The Central
Newcastle upon Tyne
We returned, once again, to this great wee bar for another splendid Skite.
The Gentlemen busied themselves with tasting the extensive range of beers available, though being cautious of the busy day ahead of them (Whisky Festival - see above).
The group enlarged as the evening progressed, leading to considerable merry chat - and a fair bit of rubbish. The curry was forsaken to ensure that the chaps remained fresh for Saturday.
The April Skite
Friday April 1st
1930 @ The Central
Newcastle upon Tyne
This wee bar has become a bit of a favourite for the Gentlemen lately.
The Society convened in it's favourite part of the pub (long bar) for a quiet evening of fine beers and idle chitchat. Particular attention was paid to the recent ski trip and discussions for group trips next season. Not to mention the up-coming London Trip as well..
Strangely, the early start let to an earlier than usual finish, but that wasn't a problem as other party partners were picked up on the way home; leading to a few late beers in the Bigg Market.
The NGS 2011 Ski Trip
5-12th March
Les Deux Alpes
The Gentlemen like to get away from the crowds when they ski, but due
to the upcoming Triathlon we decided to visit the resorts around Alpe
d'Huez and scope out the terrain to help the budding athletes train. For
this reason, we chose Les Deux Alpes.
We were blessed with a fantastic week - cold enough to ensure the snow
(in short supply this season) remained in peak condition, but always bathed
in glorious sunshine. Brilliant scenery, challenging slopes and all-in-all,
great fun. We took a day's skiing in Alpe d'Huez - which was a bit disjointed;
and also nailed the Olympic blacks in Sestrière (Italy), home of
the 2006 Winter Olympics. The power of grappa....
Keep up with plans for the next trip on our dedicated ski
page.
The March Skite
&
Whisky Tasting
Friday March 4th
1900 @ The Central
Newcastle upon Tyne
The Gentlemen tried this superb little bar for the January Skite and were
so impressed that it was immediately secured for a March
Whisky Tasting.
A selection of fine whiskies was tasted throughout the evening, followed by a few cheeky beers afterwards in the main bar. In fact, there was a couple of cheeky ones before the whisky tasting too.
As can only be expected at an event of this magnitude, the evening was rounded off with a curry at the Koh-I-Noor, which was sadly missed by those that left early due to the ski trip the following day.
Off to Watch the Rugby
Saturday February 12th
Edinburgh
Scotland
The Gentlemen resolved to see Scotland v Wales in the RBS Six Nations Cup.
Once again the Gentlemen headed
off to Edinburgh for an evening of top entertainment - including the rugby.
Celebratory bubbles were enjoyed on the train, and followed by a few pre-match
beers. The rugby was, once again, a little disappointing, but the vibrant
atmosphere more than made up for it.
This even taught the Gentlemen that the Koh-I-Noor far surpasses a Subway....!
Off to Watch the Rugby
Friday February 4th
Paris
France
The Gentlemen resolved to see France v Scotland in Paris in the RBS Six Nations Cup.
The trip got off to a flying
start with a pint or two in the Lonsdale before a relaxing flight to Paris.
Friday evening was given over to a few light beers so as not to over-do
it for the match. The Gentlemen enjoyed a relaxing lunch and a few pints
on the Saturday before heading out to the match
Although the atmosphere was fantastic, the result was a bit of a disappointment.
The Gentlemen spent the evening wining and dining in the latin quarter,
finished off by a relaxing walk back to the hotel. Sunday was spent chasing
culture - looking at the catacombes and the Panthéon; as well as
taking in a quick pint in the Bombardier.
The January Skite
Friday Januray 7th
1900 @ The Central
Newcastle upon Tyne
For the first Skite of 2011, weheaded to a completely new pub. Well, sort
of new - it's been a landmark for decades but has just undergone a complete
refurbishment.
A friendly mix of new and old faces gathered for a relaxing evening of beers, and catch-up chat. The bitterly cold and wet evening made the pub all the more cosy.
As usual, a later curry was enjoyed at the Koh I Noor.