This was the first main mirth event of 2026. Twenty-nine of us gathered. We enjoyed our lunch and catching up with friends, old and new.
To kick off the new year, David Harkness came to talk to us about the 400 years between the end of the Old Testament and the beginning of the New Testament. It was a time of empires, double-crossing leaders and paranoid Kings. We learned about Alexander the Great, the Maccabees, and King Herod, among others. David entertained us and, at the same time, taught us new things about that period, which helped us understand the modern world a bit better.
Despite the weather forecast for rain 8 of us gathered to enjoy a walk through the Thwaites Estate. We exchanged “Hello’s” with a few walkers as we progressed. This is a popular walk in the winter; most of the time, you are on the estate roads. These are closed to public traffic. Except for the occasional farm vehicle, they are quiet. As we walked, the first Snowdrops of the year were spotted just beginning to bud.
Not sure how Richard organises the weather, but as we returned to our cars, the first spots of rain fell, and the afternoon’s rain started. This was our cue to retire to The Heathcote for Lunch.
Eleven of us set off (although only 9 finished) for a walk through Leamington. Some of our more energetic members had walked or cycled to the start this time. The overnight rain stopped just in time for us to enjoy a dry walk. We walked through the parks and along the canals, Leamington always has something interesting to see along the way. As we walked along Princess Drive the road was closed as the road had flooded again in the overnight rain. Two tankers were busy pumping away the water, the AA were waiting to recover the car stranded in the flood. After a walk along the wet canal tow path we arrived back at the New Inn (or the not so New Inn, it opened in 1860).
The kitchen does not open Tuesdays but we enjoyed a convivial drink together. Bacon Sandwiches were then provided at Terry’s House for all who wanted them.
On a wet, dreary December day, some 27 MIRTHers & partners pranced up to The Racehorse in West Warwick to enjoy some Christmas cheer. Yes we had Christmas jumpers – but most were on the straight (but not so narrow …).
The Festive Fayre was much looked forward to – someone thought there was a jolly nose bag in the offing. But there were a few hurdles to jump over first.
The list of runners and riders was, it seems, incomplete – or at least not clear. But fortunately for us, Mel had been saddled with organising the meal – and what a fine job he did 👏
Of course some of us wanted to try different courses. And by general acclaim there were a number of worthy winners in the MIRTH stakes.
Pigs in blankets were greatly appreciated. And of course turkey was on the menu. A number of us left well stuffed (probably because the turkey was wrapped around a generous portion of the stuff).
Conversations flowed. Stories were told. Worlds put right. Memories evoked …
The bar & kitchen staff were very amenable and helpful. The Racehorse did us proud. Overall a fitting testament to another great year of MIRTH.
Richard led us in extending our warm thanks to Mel – and to all the committee members who have done so much for us in 2025 and given us such a great programme of activities. May God bless you all richly as we approach this wonderful time of Christmas and are reminded of the peace and love that Jesus brings into our world 🙌.
The Lord Leycester Hospital is hard to miss as you drive through Warwick. 20 MIRTHers paid a visit this November. The Lord Leycester Hospital was founded in 1571, although the buildings are older. They are some of the most important medieval buildings in the country. The buildings have recently been restored.
After enjoying lunch in the Great Hall (once host to King James 1 for a three-day banquet) we were taken on a guided tour around the buildings and gardens to learn about the history of the buildings. The building remains a home to the brothers who reside there, just as it was in 1571. The brothers are all retired service personnel; today, they are both male and female residents.
There were many things pointed out on our tour. My favourite curiosity was in the kitchen. On the wall was an inkwell and a quill. The cook used this to keep records using a pen and ink. It was locked to prevent the ink from being stolen. Ink was expensive in those days, much like printer ink today, one of our members observed.
On a damp November morning, we walked along the lanes around Church Lawford. The rain held off, and it was good to see the winter barley sprouting. The lanes around this area are quiet and only 3 or 4 cars passed us.
It was the 11th of November so at the eleventh hour, we paused our walk in a muddy farmyard for a few minutes of silence to remember the fallen in the wars. The setting seemed somehow appropriate with the damp and the mud. We reflected on the farm workers and farm horses that would have left a farm such as this to fight in the 1914 to 1919 war.
We continued our walk, crossing back across the Coventry to London railway just as a train sped under, shaking the bridge. When we returned to Church Lawford, we paused to take a look at the war memorial. From this small village, eight men are listed as dying in the First World War and one in the Second World War.
After a time of reflection, we visited the Old Smithy for lunch. Our old favourite, the Moby Dick appeared on 2 dinner plates on this occasion.
“What price for your passion” was the title of the talk given by Paul Linnell, who had travelled from Leicester for the MIRTH Main Event presentation on Tuesday October 21st.
The talk coincided with the 500th anniversary of the bible being translated into the English language. Paul told us that the early 16th century was a dangerous time for those who wanted to quote passages of the bible in English. The prevailing languages at the time were Latin and French, with English very much thought of as the language of the common man! The church had a great deal of power and influence in these times and it was difficult to go against Catholic theology. At the time, England was the only country in Europe that didn’t have the bible printed in its native language.
Change was coming, however. The natural order was being challenged. People such as Martin Luther and John Calvin were presenting their own ideas and commentaries.
Into all this came an Englishman, William Tyndale, who had a talent for languages and studied at both Oxford and Cambridge. We were told of Tyndale’s passion for communicating the true meaning of the word of God and going up against the Latin translation of the bible.
Tyndale dedicated his life to his work and paid the ultimate price. He was burnt at the stake as a heretic. His work was not in vain though. He had done enough to get much of the Old & New Testament into print and copies reached the monarch, Henry Vlll.
This was enough for the king to go against the Catholic Church and form what we now know as the Church of England. The king ordered that a bible in English be placed in every church, known as ‘The Great Bible’.
A final thought? Tyndale’s passion can be summed up in the New Testament bible verse John 3:16 – ‘ For God so loved the world that he gave his only begotten Son, that whoever believes in Him should not perish but have everlasting life’.
A damp autumnal walk, the leaves have turned in the last few weeks adding to the beauty of nature as we walked along lanes, across fields and through woodland.
As always it’s the things we find along the way that make our walks interesting. First we encountered some lively dogs. I was glad they were the other side of a fence as they did not seem to want us near them.
As we walked through the woods we came across a fine specimen of a fly agaric mushroom, bright red and must have had a diameter of 20cm.
The next discovery was a field of emus. We stood for a while as they chased each other around the field, they were fast!
All of these delights can be seen in the accompanying pictures.
After four and a half miles we found ourselves back at the Queens Head Meriden just in time for lunch.
Friday 3rd October saw the return of our ever-popular Men’s Curry Night. 35 men of all ages booked in for the evening. Gian was not able to attend the evening as he was to be awarded the Freedom of Warwick that night for his service to the community. He still came in earlier and prepared curries for us to enjoy.
The evening was great, new friendships made and old ones strengthened.
After the meal, Steve Kelly shared something of his faith journey and how it was impacted by growing up during the troubles in Northern Ireland.
This month on Tuesday September 16th, the MIRTH Main Event welcomed James Shanahan. He was here to give a talk about his experiences as a community Rugby Union referee of 25 years standing.
As James introduced himself, we all noticed a wall of numbers behind him. 20-40-60, 14+2=16, 15, 22 and so on. What did they all mean? We were about to find out!
The talk was set up in an interactive style with MIRTH members selecting numbers/sets of numbers and trying to guess what they related to.(They were all connected to rugby in some way!). Some of the audience were very knowledgeable, while others fell a little short!
James had a very relaxed but informative style of communicating and revealed that this was part of his style and ethos as a referee. His aim was to be firm but fair while always being clear that he was in charge on the pitch!
The numbers I mentioned earlier?
15 – number of players in a team
22 – the maximum length in metres allowed between the try line and dead ball line
14+2=16 – the number of flags visible at a rugby match, either as markers or being held by touch judges
20-40-60 – A fitness test including running these distances in metres between certain points.
At the end of the talk, there were still plenty of numbers left on the board.
Maybe James can return and let us in on a few more tales of ‘ Surviving As The Man In The Middle’.
MIRTH 