News and Updates

Christmas Opening Hours

It's that time of the year when we allow ourselves a well earned rest! Here are our Christmas Opening Hours. If you do need to get hold of us urgently, please use the emergency mobile telephone number, but only in a genuine emergency, please (available via the office phone number).

 

Tuesday 3rd - Friday 6th January		Office open 11am Office closes 2pm
Saturday 7th & Sunday 8th January		Office closed
Monday 9th - Friday 13th January Normal service resumes!		Office open 10am Office closes 4pm

 

Many thanks for all your support in 2011. Wishing you all a very Merry Christmas and a fun-filled 2012! 

 

 

Oxford Social Nights - NEW VENUE!

Oxford Social Nights are back in the programme! Why not come along and meet some new people and make new friends? The next one is on Tuesday 10th January at The Longwall. We hope to see you there! 

 

Spice SweepStakes Competition

 

To showcase our range of amazing events each month there will be a prize draw to give away a different event! 
You must be over 18 to enter. Click "become a fan" on our Facebook page to get started!

Entering is easy! Just click on the following link to take you to our Facebook page. 

Click here to see Terms and Conditions

Click here to enter the next SweepStakes Draw

 

August's Prize Draw Winner is Faye Berdache,who wins:

 

THREE MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP AND A SAILING WEEKEND AROUND THE SOLENT WITH ENCOMPASS SAILING!

EnCompass is renowned for its ability to create enjoyable sailing experiences. Your skipper is an experienced Yachtmaster who is used to ensuring that you get the experience you are looking for. If you are new to sailing you will be amazed at how quickly you are able to ‘learn the ropes’. If you are a more experienced sailor you will find that your skills are acknowledged and then opportunities are created for you to step into tasks that extend you slightly where you need stretching (if that is what you want).  We usually manage to cover the whole Solent during the course of the weekend, and there are excellent eating places at all the overnight stops.  Cruises start from and return to Gosport.

 

July's Prize Draw Winner is Andy Spink,who wins:

 

THREE MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP AND A 300FT BUNGEE JUMP!

 This fabulous prize is worth over £100!!!

 

The UK's highest bungee jump takes place at our new and exciting venue, which is now over water! Jump height 300ft is the highest jump you will find anywhere in the UK. Over 1000 Brave Spicers have taken the challenge of this classic Spice event over the years and almost everyone wanted to do it again straight away! Bungee Jumping has to be the ultimate adrenaline pumping experience! You need to dig deep into your personal reserves of courage, but the instructors are superb in the way they install and build your confidence. Once you have been weighed, kitted up with rope and harness, pre-jump checks are made and double checked - you seat yourself in the jump cage and are hoisted into the air... then its 3, 2, 1... BUNGEE! WOW!

This event takes place at Bray Lake and there is a small café on site, so spectators are welcome to come and enjoy the day. 

 

 

Click here to visit the Bungee Club's Website 

 

 

June's Prize Draw Winner is Trudy Collins,who wins:

 

THREE MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP AND A SEA KAYAKING WITH THE SEALS WEEKEND IN PEMBROKESHIRE!

 

 This fabulous prize is worth over £300!!!

 

This tried and tested introductory weekend is a perfect introduction to kayaking in Pembrokeshire and will suit both beginner kayakers and those with a little experience of pootling on rivers, lakes or quiet ocean waters.  You’ll get the chance to explore some of the most beautiful sheltered bays, coastline and harbours of Pembrokeshire and there’ll be mysterious and awe inspiring caves to be explored and wildlife to be spotted. On a skills level you’ll develop an efficient forward paddling stroke, you’ll master turning your kayak, and gain confidence to take your skills and experience to the next level.  By the end of the weekend we’re sure you’ll have been bitten by the sea kayaking bug and you’ll be raring to get back for some more watery adventures.  
 
The PV bar is well stocked with a wide range of tipples to suit everyone, including local and organic brews.  We serve tasty meals, and tea, coffee and cold drinks are available to help yourself to at all times. Our food is home cooked, wholesome and delicious, and special diets are happily catered for.  We have a traditional Pembrokeshire courtyard; perfect for warm summer evenings or for watching the beautiful sunsets, or you can enjoy beers around a blazing bonfire in our sheltered garden for awe inspiring nights out under the stars.

 

 

Click here to visit Preseli's Website

 

 

May's Prize Draw Winner is Geoff Davis,who wins:

 

THREE MONTHS FREE MEMBERSHIP AND A WALKWISE WEEKEND!

 

Established in 1998, Walkwise is one of the foremost providers of scenic walking weekends. Well known among Spice Thames Valley & Solent members, this sought after prize has been won by GEOFF DAVIS following the first ever Sweepstakes prize draw on May 16th. This prize is valid for any Walkwise weekend taking place before the 31st of December 2011. Geoff could be strolling through fresh and new surroundings in Pembrokeshire, taking in the breathtaking views of North Yorkshire, or exploring heritage sites and stunning coastal scenery.

 Click here to visit Walkwise's Website

 

Been on a Spice holiday?

We organise some truly amazing holidays in Spice - Rio Carnival, Venice Masked Ball, 3 Counties of the Far East, Inca Trail, Horse Trekking in the Kasbah Mountains, Kayaking on the Turquoise Coast, Walking in the Alps as well as trips to the Canada & USA, Cuba, Jordan, Moscow and a whole array of watersports, safaris, chillouts, etc - the list is endless.

If you've been on a Spice holiday, why not share your memories with your fellow Spicers? Remember, you could win a tenner if it becomes our 'Star Photo' and it will reduce the number of times Dom appears on the front cover! 

Please send into Jane at Spice Thames Valley & Solent - we always love receiving them!

 

Vacancy for a Solent Flash Mob Coordinator

We're looking for a Flashmob co-ordinator for the Solent region.  Flashmobs are short notice social events organized and promoted mainly via the website and Facebook to inject a bit of spontaneity into Spice!  As co-ordinator you'd be responsible for organizing 1-2 events per month.  For more details on what's involved or to apply, call the Spice office on 0118 9724810. 

 

Spice Review of 2011

We're looking to organise a pictorial review of 2011 from all the photos our lovely members have sent us - but we always need more! As we can't be on all the events, we need your help. Plus, we organise some truly amazing holidays, so why not share your memories with your fellow Spicers? Whilst we need originals, there's no need to worry about the quality or light - we can do wonders with Photoshop! Remember, you could win a tenner if it becomes the 'Star Photo' in our colour newsletter. And it will reduce the number of times Dom makes an appearance! 

Please send into Jane at Spice Thames Valley & Solent - we always love receiving them!

 

Ski Meribel by Sandra Willis

Many months ago in the early part of the year
Dom and I though a joint Yorks/Thames Valley ski trip a good idea
Now I really should have taken the hint, it was a great big clue
That sharing with TV wouldn’t be straightforward after the year of the boiling loo

I started the day with 1 lost ticket and 2 who missed the plane
Then 1 lost bag and the coach walking for Colette to board again
Once on the way I texted Jacquie and immediately wished I had not made a fuss
When she texted back and told me about the TV bus

Dom was facing backwards, working hard, he’s a dedicated bloke
Upon looking up momentarily saw the back of the bus covered in smoke
He got the bus to stop – thank God he raised the alarm
Due to his quick thinking everyone got out without harm

John and Emma rescued skis, bags were grabbed but it was a terrible shame
That quite a few folks on the coach still lost belongings in the flame
The fire took hold quickly as everyone watched in awe and fear
But Spice Spirit prevailed and were so glad that all of you with your ski trip did persevere

A new coach arrived and took everyone to the Tarentaise
Pleased to arrive at the hotel, it had not been the best of days
Yorks Spice arrived a bit later having driven past the bus shell
We were just relieved to see everyone at the hotel safe and well

And so lets move on to a lighter note, as our holiday has begun
Time to tell you tales of skiing and drinking and having lots of fun
For 6 days Spicers whizzing down the 3 Valleys could be seen
Up lifts and chairs, down slopes blue, black, red and green

As with all Spice trips on this one there’s some characters just a few
So now comes the time to spill the beans and mention them to you.
First mention goes to Anthony and his numerous falls
The speed he goes down the slopes he’s definitely got balls

Kate went first gracefully down the slope and on the corner waited there
Next came Anthony through the poles off piste flying 4ft in the air
Now Jude we’ve found out has the most peculiar skin routine
Choosing to rub lip salve on her face rather than sunscreen

You’d think that for one person enough embarrassment that would be
But oh no helmet on back to front next wondering why she can’t see
Now Nigel is definitely not a follower of fashion – he’s a Yorkshire fella!
Although no workforce in sight he still wore trousers a shade of canary yella!

There’s John a fit young man – tall and built with muscle
Who lost his ski group then blamed it on a Jack Russell
Phil’s a cool sporty guy so no gossip on him you’ll be betting
Alex be warned he has a fetish for wrapping himself in orange netting

Then there’s Jacqui who in no uncertain terms only wants to ski green
So she leads the way out of the hotel she knows but after 100yds only red poles can be seen
There’s Robert who I believe on the couloir descended without skis for a while
He bounced and slid down at high speed but then stood up with a smile

Space age Sally was very excited to see a new skiing sport
She told everyone you don’t teleski on the slope you teleport
Nicola was having fun at charades yelling answers loudly her job
Till Charlie told her to tape it to make her shut her gob

Now Lisa has been nominated for the title of Life Queen
As off the end of the travelator or under a chair but rarely on the seat can be seen
It wasn’t just getting on chairs, getting off was also by chance
As Liz and Lisa dismounted in a romantic clinch while having a dance

Sally may look sweetness and light but she caused a scandal
When going for a trip a window dropped out now she’s a piste basher vandal
But it was Kitty who caused the most hilarious incident of the week
When needing a pee the restaurant toilet she did seek

Once mission completed Kitty got quite a shock
Stuck in the loo as the door had a broken lock
So I’m sure folks we all know the appropriate song
Please join in everyone, do sing along
  "Oh dear what can the matter be? Kitty got stuck in the lavatory!"…

So now folks all to soon it was our last day
But that meant the fancy dress costumes came out to play
There was batman and robin, a pudding, grim reaper and a nun
Omar Sharif, police lady, phone sailor and a skeleton
Oh how we laughed as down the slopes we went without fail
But just watch out for what that naughty pink panther is doing with his tail

For sadly tonight our wonderful week draws to an end
I hope we leave without too many bruises and many a new friend
Of course our week wouldn’t have been the same without the work of Romie and her crew
So to all staff members on behalf of us all I’d like to say a great big thank you
That just leaves me to say on behalf of myself, Dom and Jane
We’ve had a blast, it’s been real fun and we hope to see each of you on a Spice ski trip again.

 

Spice Steps Forward!

We have a big exciting project happening to bring Spice together nationally, but still with that local feel. We are aware that members of Spice groups make many friends both in their own group and other groups and we are seeing an increase in bookings across groups which is all fabulous for Spice nationally.

 

Whilst we are progressing the logistics of our project to try and make booking events with other groups easier Spice Thames Valley & Solent will now handle all your bookings (with the exception of overseas trips which are still booked with the host group/Spice UK).

Without the new database in place we cannot input all groups’ events into our system (we’d have a nervous breakdown!) but should you see an event on another group’s website that you want to do just let us know and we’ll add it to our system so you can then book it online with Spice Thames Valley & Solent. These events may just be carried on our websites and not in our newsletter.

As we realise that most cross-group bookings are mainly weekends away, we are trying to put most of the other groups’ weekends onto our system, but if you see any we’ve missed just let us know and we’ll gladly add it with the permission of the host group.

We are endeavouring to add which Spice group is hosting an event under the host details of an event to save confusion so you know which Spice group’s event you are attending. This means that you will be offered many more events over the year but be aware that members from other groups can also book, so the Spice motto of "If you snooze you lose" has never been more appropriate!

There’s exciting times ahead with a whole new national world of Spice events opening up for everyone.

 

Welcome to our new Oxford Assistant Coordinator!

We'd like to offer a very warm welcome to Ted Turner who joins our team as Oxford Assistant Coordinator. Many of you will already know Ted, who is a long term member and a thoroughly nice guy. Ted brings some inspiring new ideas with him, and endless enthusiasm. You can find out all about Ted and all our other VCs on our Meet the Team page. Grab yourself a cuppa, sit back and enjoy!

 

 

   

Spice Gift Vouchers

If you're looking to buy the ideal gift for friends or family, then look no further. For those who have everything, Spice gift vouchers make an excellent present and a solution to all your present-buying dilemmas! 

Or, if your family or friends are wondering what to buy you this year, what about the gift of Spice? Ask them to call us on 0118 972 4810 and we will organise for the vouchers to be sent direct to them (or any address they choose) in a separate envelope so they can present them to you on the big day.

Gift vouchers come in denominations of £10 and £20 - or if you'd like an alternative amount, this can be arranged with just a call to the office. We've even produced one for £100!

We can even replace the monetary amount with an event, if you'd prefer. One lucky member received one that had 'Helicopter Lesson' on it instead.

 

Can you help?

Apart from the 100's of events we put on every year, I always say the best part of Spice is how it brings people together. I'm sure you've seen evidence of this on the events with people planning to meet up, expanding their social circle and making life-long friends, and I hope you've been lucky enough to benefit from its magic. Yet there are lots of people who've never heard of us, wanting more out of life - and this is where we need your help!

Rhian, our summer placement student has been doing a brilliant job raising the profile of Spice on various websites - and we have seen a lot more traffic coming onto our website as a result - which means the more people who know about us, the more fun we can have with new friends! If you know of any websites we should be on, please let us know.

Rhian has added Spice Thames Valley & Solent to Freeindex.co.uk, which is a business directory and we would really appreciate it if you could submit a review as we really need your help so we can raise our profile and web presence. This will go out to a new audience who may not have heard of Spice, as well as giving those who are hesitating the incentive to join. And the more reviews we get, the higher up the rankings we will get - so please help us get to number 1!

If you are happy to write a review, please click here.  Here's a link to our site page to see what has already been entered.  

Please remember that this is an external website, if you have anything specific you need to address, please contact the Spice office direct. It would be a massive help to us if you could write a review, however long or short. Spice (and small businesses) need your support! 

Many thanks for your help - and we hope you keep enjoying the events!

 

Spice Summer Student Wins First Place!

We're extremely proud that Rhian, our summer placement student, has won first place in the Reading University SEED Awards for her presentation and case study on her placement with Spice Thames Valley & Solent over the last 3 months.

Rhian's done a brilliant job for us raising our web presence and has been a joy to work with. Rhian returns to Reading University to continue her studies, and will be back with us on a part time basis to continue her good work.

In the meantime, we hope you'll join with us to congratulate her on her brilliant achievement!