Lancashire Social Circle
Following a couple of year of not being able to hold a Ladies Weekend with restrictions on group gatherings, the Lancashire Social Circle held there Ladies Weekend at the seaside town of Lytham St Annes on Sea, at the Clifton Arms Hotel. The family owned hotel was established in 1840 so has a long history of hospitably, is located right on the sea front overlooking the large, grassed area known as Lytham Green. The green is used by the town for numerous functions over the year from the annual beer festival, music events, 40's weekends and pop concerts. Lytham is in the borough of Fylde directly south of Blackpool on the Ribble estuary known for its wildlife. The venue proved a complete success being only two left turns and a short walk to the town centre, with ample shopping facilities for the ladies who might have needed some retail therapy. The town centre has a wide range of small shops alongside a large number of restaurants catering for all needs and tastes. Leaving the hotel in the opposite direction and you found yourself in the grounds of Lowerther Pavilion and gardens with its purpose-built theatre that house its own Tea-Rooms which I understand several of our guests made full use of. Other attractions all less than a mile walk away were Lytham Hall a venue for Antiques Road Show on a number of occasions, RSPB Fairhaven Lake Visitors Centre, and two golf clubs Royal Lytham and Green Drive.
The weekend started with all but a couple of guest arriving on the Friday travelling from different parts of the country, travelling on a Friday is not always the best of days to travel, but on the whole everyone made it to the hotel safely without too many delays, apart from Stuart and Jill Gregory and Cosmin and Adina Talis who got caught up in traffic and roadworks on their long journey. Stuart was telling me at future function he intends to travel on the Thursday and have a three day weekend to overcome this problem. It was nice to catch up with both members, guests and their wife's some who we have not seen for some time, these included several old friends from north Wales along with Derek and Eileen Towers. It was nice to see a number of new faces attending for the first time, Richard and Amanda Law who came along with Maurice McCartney, Cosmin and Adina Talis friends of Stephen Beardmore and Bob Smith's family Stuart and Gillian Carley, Adam and Kate Senior along with Bob's wife Sheila. Most made use of the day to get their bearings before returning back to the hotel for a drink and catch up before a quick change in some cases to meet up in the Ball Room for a free and easy evening with a nice meal and some great entertainment provided by a young couple who kept us all singing along with the dance floor taken over with the Welsh ladies who always seem to lead the way in getting everyone up and on their feet along with Mary Wignall and Margaret Whitworth. One or two guests did have an early night having been on the road for most of the day but on the whole most stayed until quite late.
Saturday morning had everyone down for breakfast bright and early in order to make the most of what the sea-side resort had to offer. As is usual at the Ladies Weekends the weather was perfect, we are not sure how Tony and Kim Merrick do it but they always arrange plenty of sunshine for these events. With a mixed number of people in our group as you can imagine different ones all did different things before meeting up later in the day and get ready for the gala dinner on Saturday evening. I was amassed how several made the walk to St Annes to the hotel we now use for the male Gatherings. At this point I must mention Tony and Kim Merrick who are the organisers of the Ladies Weekends for the work they have put into the events over a number of years. It would seem this might be the last one Tony and Kim are to be involved in, as Tony has not been in the best of health recently. Finding interesting locations for these events that suit the ladies catering for all tastes is not the easiest of jobs, and this on top of finding a good hotel that accommodates all our needs only adds to the pressure. The small gifts that each lady finds at her place at the gala dinner is another little job that can turn into a big job when trying to find something different every year, something that the Merrick's have made look simple.
Saturday evening kicked off with all members and guests have a really well presented three course meal which they had picked themselves prior to the event. Their choice of each course printed on the reverse of their place cards, which when turned round made the job of serving the correct meal very straight forward for the staff. Lancashire Social Circle President Stephen Beardmore opened the evening by thanking all the hotel staff for their attention to detail over the weekend, Stephen was speaking from experience as his family own a large hotel and fully understands what goes on behind the scenes. He went on to thank Tony and Kim for their efforts before making a light remark to the Circle Secretary for stepping in at short notice to help put the weekend together. The entertainment for the evening was an Irish Duo, one of which was a fiddle player who entertained the party with some foot-tapping Irish music and songs. Not one person was unhappy with the hotel, its location and the service provided, their rooms and quality of the meals that included the most important meal of the day breakfast, an award winning meal that had a very wide range of choices prepared and served to you personally. It looks like we will be back next year, as the hotel has been booked for the weekend of the 20th/21st October 2023, once we get a member to take over the running the weekend as Tony will be stepping aside having run the event for the last number of years.
Brian Dearn. Tel. 01254 772515.
Tony & Kim Merrick Gillian with her son, Adam on the dancefloor.
Bob with his graddaughter, Kate Kim, making her speech
President, Stephen Beardmore Angie and Brian Garnham
Bill and Beryl Lewis Chris & Brian Smith
David and Jill Newson Geoff and Jean Richmond
