NEW – Picture gallery

Sally Winslet Wins Pickled Onion Contest - Again

Sunday 21 January the annual Retreat pickled onion contest was won by Sally Winslet whose family recipe was the firm favourite of the judges. Results in full are:-

1^st Sally Winslet 116 points

2^nd Chris George 98 points

3^rd Martin Hoare 96 points

4^th Norman 95 points

The GreatAnnual Mince Pie Contest

This will take place on the evening of Saturday 23^rd December. Entry free to competitors, £1.00 to judges who will get to eat at least 3 class-act mince pies. Competitors must bring at least six mince pies for judging before 8pm.

2007 Onion Pickling Contest

This has been put off ‘til Sunday 21st January from about 2.30pm.We will need tasters as well as picklers, so please mark the date in your diary. It is particularly important we recruit more judges with top notch taste-buds after last year’s substitution scandal. Green’s cheddar and bread will be provided for judges. Entry fee £1 for exhibitors. Onions must be in jars containing a minimum of twelve and should be handed in by the Saturday.

The Great Christmas Raffle

Lou has offered to organise a Christmas Raffle, proceeds to go to the Air Ambulance. Tickets will go on sale from 1^st December and the raffle will be drawn on 23^rd December.. If you have any spare things you would like to donate (not grotty stuff!) please see Lou or leave items behind bar.

Pool

We now have two teams in the Wednesday league, if you are interested in playing, come along on Tuesday evenings (team practice night). See www.reading-pool.co.uk for more info

Horticulture

Dennis (our accountant) won Raymond’s spud sweepstake with a correct guess of 67 potatoes grown from one big one. Over one hundred pounds was raised for the Air Ambulance. See the picture gallery link above.

Next year the attack of the giant cabbage! Raymond is hoping to grow a really HUGE cabbage, whose weight people will be invited to guess. Entry forms will be available here and at the Hobgoblin. Proceeds to Air Ambulance.

A general list of things we have done in the past

• Two cider and real ale festivals a year.
• Pickled Onion Contest in January
• A Brewery Visit
• Music on Thursdays and some Tuesdays and Sundays
• Burns Night Haggis, Neeps and Tatties (Must be pre booked)
• The pig club (We buy a (butchered) rare breed pig between our customers).
• We play the Dove Exiles three times a year at Cricket on a Sunday morning.
• Charity Cocktail Night.
• Occasional bring and share curry nights.
• Occasional bring and share cheese nights.
• St Johns Night Charity event if we can find time.
• Games night.
• Piano night.
• We have a Pool team playing on Wednesdays.
• We host a Reading Motorcycle Action Group meeting on Mondays
• Kennet Morris perform every year