| FRIDAY | 19 August |
| Friday afternoon | Arrivals from after lunch |
| Friday evening | Simple meal available from 6pm Honesty bar (feel free to bring your own!) Bonfire and mashmallow toasting at 7.30pm Music, open mic, dancing – just don’t overdo it |
| SATURDAY | 20 August |
| Saturday morning | Breakfast available 10.45am Second breakfast: bacon* butties *and/or sausage, halloumi, hash browns… |
| Saturday early afternoon | Mass of Thanksgiving (1pm) followed by speeches |
| Saturday afternoon | Celebratory meal (from 4pm) |
| Saturday evening | Music and dancing (from 6pm) |
| SUNDAY | 21 August |
| Sunday morning | Breakfast available, including full cooked breakfast |
| Sunday lunchtime | Sunday Mass (midday) |
Things will be fairly casual, with loose timings – although the Mass of Thanksgiving will start around 1pm, so please make sure you’re around by then!
If the planned RMT strike does not go ahead, the last train to London from Kintbury on the Saturday night is at 22.20 (with change).
We hope to have some transport available, including a shuttle minibus to Newbury.
Home-from-home
The Centre is our home for the weekend, and everyone is encouraged to make themselves at home. Throughout the weekend there will be spaces to sit and be, make yourself a cuppa, and help yourself to a slice of cake.
It’s also a youth centre, so perfectly set up for children and people of all ages. Some more info for those coming with little people can be found HERE.
Friday
Whether you’re staying on site or not, you’re welcome to come along any time from Friday after lunch.
We would love to see as many of you as possible on the Friday evening, even if you’re not staying on site, but there’s no pressure at all.
Friday night food
There will be some big pots of food available from 6pm for people to help themselves (thanks in advance to various members of family and friends). Things like a veggie curry and a chilli.
At about 7.30pm, there’ll be a bonfire and marshmallows to toast.
Friday night drinks
Feel free to bring your own drink for the evening/to share. There will be some drinks available and a bit of an honesty bar.
There’ll be an open mic, and we’d love you to feel free to sing/play – but you won’t be forced to take part.
Don’t overdo it too much – there’s the main celebrations on the Saturday!
Saturday
Saturday morning
First breakfasts on Saturday morning is a help-yourself-affair. Cereal and bread, tea and coffee will all be available in the dining room from whenever you (or your little alarm clock) wake up.
If anyone fancies a walk, there will be suggested walks available. We’re also hoping the Centre’s climbing wall and archery will be available if you fancy it. Just try not to injure Nick or Stephen.
Second breakfasts
From 10.45am there’s second breakfasts – bacon butties and then some. Even if you’re not staying on site, if you want to come along there’ll be plenty to go around.
Time to get spruced up
There’s no set dress code. We’ll be wearing suits, and we know some people will be in frocks and fascinators, and others will be in chinos and Converse. We want you to be comfortable, you really don’t need to buy a new outfit, and if you loved what you wore to your last wedding (or court appearance), please wear it again. Even if you were the bride.
There will be dedicated space to get ready, even if you don’t have a room in the Centre.
And there’ll be people milling around, and probably even time for a quick drink if you’re ready super-quick.
Mass
Please make sure you’re ready and on site for Mass at 1pm. It will be in the marquee. Whether you’re familiar with Mass or not, all are very welcome to this celebration. If you’d like to join the music group for Mass, please click here.
Straight after Mass we’ll meet outside the main building for some refreshments, a few speeches, and a photo or two.
Dinner
About 4 o’clock we’ll head into one of two dining rooms – there’s just nowhere to seat all 200 of us in one space! – for some delicious food.
Dancing
After eating and drinking to our hearts’ content, we’ll head back to the marquee for some dancing until the wee small hours. There will still be plenty of spaces to sit and be and have a cuppa – it’s a marathon, not a sprint.
About 9pm there’ll be some ‘picky bits’ to eat to help keep us going.
After party
And about midnight we’ll stop with the music in the marquee as we need to keep the noise down for the distant neighbours. Don’t worry, there’s already plans for a whisky lounge away from most of the accommodation for those who want to keep celebrating.
Sunday
We’re not expecting people to be up too early… but for those who are, you can help yourself to breakfast again in the dining room.
Again, whether you’re on site or not, there’s a full cooked breakfast available on the Sunday morning from 10am and a chance to relive the previous night and say goodbye.
For those who wish, there’ll also be a gentle Sunday Mass at 12noon at the Centre.
smavies 