In the bleak mid-winter

In the bleak mid-winter, when frosty winds did moan – nah not really, ho ho ho. However it was a weekend in December that thirteen members of South Wales Wings made it all the way to Weston-Super-Mare for the Christmas knees-up at the Sandringham Hotel. Some of us took the scenic route on the journey down and called into the Helicopter Museum on the Friday, now this was an interesting pull-in for a few hours, plenty of yeah you’ve got it – HELICOPTERS, all shapes and sizes, each with a history and a story to tell, definitely one for the boys!! After booking in to the hotel later that afternoon, we were left to our own devices till meeting for drinks later. So taking the advantage of the cold dry weather it had to be a stretch of the legs along the prom for some.  So making our way down towards the “See Monster”, yes that’s right folks, they had placed a decommissioned oil rig on the front at Weston. It had been turned into a public art installation to inspire global conversation about reuse, renewables and the weather. This was a temporary structure originally sited for a period of 8 weeks, complete with gardens and a waterfall, unfortunately it was now in the throes of being dismantled, the structure to  be recycled, with some of its

parts being re-used for other projects. So leaving the “See Monster” to its fate, we decided to head back to the hotel for a drink in the bar  before dinner.  After dinner our little group managed to occupy a nice little corner ready for the nights entertainment in the bar, and as the beer flowed so did the laughter and the banter as only friends can.

Saturday saw another cold dry day, and left to our own devices again after breakfast, saw many of us hit the shops in search of that last elusive pressie!!  Some of us even found our way to the Weston Museum, tucked away in a little side street off the main thoroughfare.  This little gem depicting Weston thro the ages, complete with a 1900’s cottage, helped us while away time. A very good photographers gallery showcasing works of art, a nice cafe on-site, plus a small shop, all this with free entrance.  But some had already spied a cafe on the prom, complete with giant Christmas tree, for coffee and cake.  Tonight was Christmas night at the Sandringham, so Christmas jumpers were the order of the day, along with traditional present giving by “the man in the red suit”.  Entertainment was laid on again, and the bar was quite crowded, some weary wingers made it to their beds, others danced the night away.  Sunday morning after breakfast saw many of us say our goodbyes, and dragging our cases behind us made our way to the car park to go our separate ways, haha only till this evening when its CLUB NIGHT!!! Don’t forget the nibbles  Merry Christmas everyone.