Spice London Member Welcome & Enquiry Pack

www.spicelondon.co.uk

Social & Leisure Activity & Adventure Weekend Breaks & Holidays Dozens of incredible & fun events to choose each month simply book, turn-up & have fun Make new friends or try something amazing with Spice London

Spice London

Member Welcome & Enquiry Pack

Hello Everyone!

Dianne’s Wee Bit

Welcome to our Spice London Member Welcome & Enquiry Pack.

Thinking about joining? We hope this enquiry pack will give you a better idea of just what Spice is about and all the fun & exciting things we do. If you do have any questions please take a look at our website or just give us a call at the Spice office. If you like what you see it’s very easy to join Spice online or by phone.

New to Spice? It’s great to have you on board, we hope you’ll find lots of fun and exciting things to do and start making lots of new Spice friends. The main thing, if you haven't already done so is to book your first event, so you’re not missing out on all the fun. Take a look at our top tips for some ideas to get the best from your membership. In this pack you’ll find information on what to expect at some of our events, which we hope you find useful, plus some event suggestions to try, perhaps something you hadn’t even thought about, you may just amaze yourself!

We run dozens of events each month including social & leisure, activity & adventure, in addition we have a great mix of weekend breaks and holidays all over the world including winter sports & summer chill-out holidays. Unlike some other groups we organise and host our own social events either ourselves or using trusted Spice members, this ensures you get the best possible experience. For our activities we use professional, fully qualified & insured suppliers, so you’re in great hands, all tuition and equipment is provided. Most of these events are suitable for beginners and are a great way to try something new. Many of our members have been with Spice for several years and actively help us, you’ll find this gives Spice London a friendly club atmosphere. In fact we couldn’t run the club without them, so thanks to all of you!

We hope to see you on our events very soon, and hope you enjoy reading our Member Welcome & Enquiry Pack.

Dianne Livingstone.

Top tips - getting the most from Spice ● Check our website regularly, we update on a daily basis, make sure you don’t miss that “must do event”. ● Booking early means you won’t be disappointed by an event selling out. Although most events do come around again, some outdoor events such as ice curling, surfing, sailing & some walks are seasonal. ● If you have recently joined book your first events as soon as possible and get involved. Besides you’re just missing out on the fun by delaying. ● If you received credit vouchers when you joined please use them as these will expire after 3 months. ● Try something different, you never know you may surprise yourself and love it! ● Use the transport share list if you find it difficult to get to an event, most Spice members are more than happy for a bit of company on a long trip. ● Go on the wait list, we do get members cancelling bookings and we can often arrange for extra places. ● Don’t forget Spice UK has some brilliant holidays & weekend breaks, check the website for our latest holidays. ● Remember Spice is a network, one big family you may attend events with another Spice group. ● Call the office if you have any questions about an event or are not sure about something. ● Tell us what you thought, leave feedback on our website, email us or on Facebook. ● Most of our activities are suitable for beginners you don’t need to supply any equipment or be super-fit. However please read the write-up as you may need to bring suitable clothing or footwear. ● Introduce yourself to the Spice host when arriving at an event, that way they will introduce you to the group so you won’t get left out.

Above all have fun on our events!

Welcome to Spice…

Some of our exciting and fun events Walking Weekends Fire Eating & Breathing Dinner Shuffle Meals Theatres & Concerts Guided Climb at the O2 Surfing Weekends Cycling Weekends Lazy Chill-out Weekends Afternoon Teas Horse Riding Art Gallery Visits Canadian Canoeing Wolf Experience Day Clay Pigeon Shooting Costal High Speed Rib Ride Pub Socials & Quizzes Comedy Clubs Racing at Ascot & Epsom Downs Zip Wires Tours & Visits Sailing days & Weekends

Jazz & Supper Ronnie Scotts Meet & Eat Social Diving with Sharks Flying Taster Lesson London Cycling Tours Skiing Holidays Wine & Cheese Tasting Spice Dines Out Canal Jazz Cruises Savoy Chocolate Master Class London Tours & Walks Dance Weekends Murder Mystery Weekends Badminton & Unihoc Evenings Royal Opera House Skid Pan Experience Spice Club Nights Supercar Blasts Wildlife Tours Llama Trekking Behind the Scenes Tours

How Spice Works You may try up to 3 events before joining. You must be over 18 to join Spice, there is no maximum age. We do not have a minimum membership period, you may cancel your membership at any time after joining.

All of our events are described on our website or newsletter. You may book any event you choose using a credit or debit card either on-line or over the phone.

Spice London is one of eight Spice groups throughout the country members may also book onto any event hosted by another Spice group. Membership also allows you to book any of our amazing holidays with Spice UK. We have been running for over 30 years & have vast experience running events so you’re in good hands.

Full joining instructions are provided including what to bring & wear plus directions etc. We also operate a transport share, to help you get to our events.

Most members come to Spice events on their own, but don't worry we’re a friendly bunch and you'll be quickly making lots of new friends. Guests are welcome to attend up to 3 events and then would be expected to join.

Cancellation policy - If we cancel you’ll get a full refund. Let us know if you cannot attend an event & we will try to re-sell your place otherwise there will be a cancellation fee as we pay many of our suppliers up-front. Sorry we cannot refund you if you fail to turn-up. Please see our web-site for our full cancellation terms.

All of our suppliers are fully qualified & insured, Spice members also benefit from free personal accident & liability insurance whilst attending any event.

Please don’t just turn-up at events, we may not be able to fit you in & you may have a wasted journey.

live your dream!

Activities - lets try something Amazing!

Spice gives you that chance to try something new or amazing, like our incredible fire eating & breathing workshop! Ok, if that one is not for you how about Abseiling, Walking with Wolves or Snorkelling with Sharks, Horse Riding, Flying a Glider or a Helicopter, Learn Fencing or Archery and Kayaking there is so much to choose from!

If you can think of it… Spice has done it!

All Spice activities are aimed at beginners so no experience is necessary.

We always use fully qualified & insured professional instructors who provide all the equipment needed. We also like to keep it fun, it’s why you joined after all! Our activities provide a great way to bond with other Spice members and to quickly make new friends. So go on try something new or different, you may amaze yourself and love it! Why not try one of these amazing events?

Fire Eating & Breathing Spice has been running this event for many years and over 2000 Spice members have learnt to eat & breath fire, we believe Spice is the only club running this event regularly. The day starts with some fun confidence building exercises before we meet the challenge.

Are we mad, well no not when you know how to do it safely and you will need to book to find-out how. We dare you, in fact we double dare you to book!

Wing Walking

Need we say this one is only for those with a good head for heights, after a safety briefing you are strapped into a harness on top of a Boeing Stearman Biplane and will take part in a display practice, the flight lasts about 10 minutes (that’s enough!) After which you’ll receive a certificate confirming your status as a fully trained wing walker, handy for future job interviews!

Segway Experience These amazing balancing machines are great fun, you’ll be surprised how quickly you master the basics of control, then we are off, for a fun ride.

Activity & Adventure…

The 4 elements of Spice Messing about on the Water

No need to count your fingers after this one it’s all very safe, an amazing 15 minute snorkel where you get up close and personal with up to 15 awesome sharks!

Kayak River Adventure Cambridge by Canoe Learn to Sail Snorkelling with Sharks Rib Rides Canoeing & Kayaking Stand Up Paddle Boarding Narrowboat Weekends

Wolf Experience Day An unusual and very popular day as we

In the air - Wind

The Big Abseil This is another event for those with a good head for heights. The Avon Gorge & Clifton Suspension bridge provides a spectacular backdrop for this 200 foot straight descent, just don’t forget to admire the views on the way down.

Snorkelling with Sharks

meet a friendly pack of wolves (it’s OK they are all well-fed!). A member of staff will give a talk and be on-hand to answer your questions. This day allows you to discover more about these animals and hopefully dispel a few myths. There are also lots of photo opportunities.

Guided Climb at the O2 An extremely popular event with Spice members, so book early. We meet at ‘base camp’ & kit out for this exhilarating walk over the top of the O2. At the top there is an observation platform where we take in the 360⁰ view over London and also pose for some group photos. Once back on the ground we head for a meal inside the O2.

Rib Boat Rides

An adrenaline pumping ride either along the Thames taking in the sights as we head downstream from Westminister pier or along the Sussex coast from Eastbourne to the famous Beachy Head lighthouse.

Ice Curling A winter event to watch out for, we head to Fentons Rink near Tonbridge in Kent, the site of England’s only dedicated Ice Curling Rink. This is a brilliant team event, our instructor runs through how to curl the stone over the ice and how the game is played. We then divide into teams for a match, it’s brilliant fun and can become very competitive when knocking out the other teams stones.

Skid Pan Experience A fun and interesting event, we learn how to control front & real wheel skids on a specially prepared skid pan and car. Hopefully you will never need this skill in real life, but it may come away knowing what to do.

Windsurfing The Big Abseil Wing Walking Flying an Aeroplane or Glider Helicopter Flight over London Hovercraft Racing Flight Simulator Microlight Flying Guided Climb at the O2

Spice on Fire Fire Eating & Breathing Walking on Hot Coals Hot Air Balloon Flights

Back to Earth Rifle & Clay Pigeon Shooting Day Rambles & Walks Quad Biking & Go Karting Climbing & Ice Wall Climbing Supercar Blasts Segway Experience Skid Pan Experience Day & Weekend Cycle Rides Horse Riding Ice Curling

amaze yourself - try something new!

Weekend breaks Spice runs a wide range of weekend breaks, there’s bound to be lots just right for you. You may want to try one of our fun packed activity weekends such as Walking, Cycling, Sailing, Surfing, Ridge Walking, Canadian Canoeing, Badminton / Tennis or a Dance class. All of our activity weekends are suitable for complete beginners and are a great way to try something new, all instruction & equipment is provided by qualified insured instructors. Or you may want to wind-down and relax at the Ascot races, chill-out on a narrow boat, solve a murder (no not a real one!) or brush-up your photography, painting or pottery skills in one of our fun workshops.

Our weekends are a great opportunity to get to know other Spice members over a longer period and make lasting friendships.

Surfing in Croyde Bay Wax-up your board surfs-up and we are off to North Devon for some fun! Croyde Bay with it’s sandy beaches and spectacular coastline is a great place to try this exhilarating sport. We run a couple of these weekends each summer and they are always very popular with Spice members. All equipment and tuition is provided.

Canadian Canoes Explore some of our beautiful rivers & streams by Canadian canoe. Our friendly and experienced guides teach you the various strokes needed to navigate your way down the river, popular destinations include the River Wye, the New Forest & Solent and the Thames.

Narrow boats Feeling stressed? There is no better way than to relax and unwind on a narrow boat and just watch the world go by. The only interruptions being a few locks, lunch or mooring-up alongside the bank for a evening BBQ or a country pub visit. These weekends are a sociable & fun way to relax and to totally de-stress.

Center Parcs This weekend is our biggest party of the year, all the Spice groups descend upon Center Parcs in Sherwood Forest. We start with a welcome drink at your coordinators villa on Friday evening followed by a disco at the Venue. On Saturday there are lots of great activities including Badminton, Tennis, Volleyball, Ten Pin Bowling or you may choose to relax at the spa & go for a swim. Saturday night it’s our themed fancy dress disco party, over the years themes have included pop stars, a day at the zoo, TV personalities, silver & carnival. There are always some amazing (and sometimes outrageous) outfits. After all that there's no letting-up, on Sunday we have in recent years run an its a knockout competition between the Spice groups, which is a brilliant laugh with just a bit of friendly rivalry.

Dragon boat racing Another huge national Spice event.

Up to twenty people sitting side by side in a forty foot long boat with a carved dragons head and tail attached. A drummer in the prow beating time and a steerer in the stern keeping the boat on course with a giant paddle with the crew side by side speeding the boat down the river to the finishing line, which Spice group will win this year?

UK City Breaks

Fancy a gentle weekend punting in Cambridge or a trip to historic York, Musical Liverpool, trendy Cardiff or Manchester? Often these weekends are run alongside a party or a black tie ball. These weekends are a great excuse to get away and explore another part of the UK.

Weekends…

M4 The Weekend

Spice

European City Breaks

Fancy a weekend exploring Rome, Venice, Florence, Paris, Copenhagen, Stockholm, Bucharest, Prague or Krakow?

These are just some of the fascinating places we have visited over the last few years. We normally run a few breaks each year, a great chance to getaway and explore somewhere new or to return to an old favourite. A Spice host accompanies the group to help arrange excursions and meals and ensure everyone has a great time.

Cycling Get on your bike with Spice, cycling is a brilliant sociable way to explore the countryside and you can see so much more whilst covering a reasonable distance. For most of our cycling weekends you don’t need to be a Chris Hoy or a Victoria Pendleton, a reasonable level of fitness is all that is needed. We use knowledgeable guides who make the most of your weekend, bikes are supplied although you can bring your own if you wish.

Recently we have cycled in the New Forest, Bournemouth & Swanage, The Cotswolds, The Peak District and also around Bath.

Chill-out & Mixed Activities We run a few of these each year, we may do some walking, cycling, explore a country home, enjoy a boat trip or you can just relax with other Spice members. Three of our favourites are a Brecons chill-out, where we stay in a lovely bunkhouse on a farm right in the heart of the Brecons which is ideally placed to explore the area. The North Norfolk coast is another favourite of ours, walking, cycling and exploring the grounds of Holkam Hall. The highlight is a seal trip boat ride to Blankley point where 100’s of common & grey seals may be spotted. Our accommodation at Deepdale Granary has the option to stay in a Mongolian Yurt! Another firm favourite is the Bluestone resort in Pembrokeshire, the accommodation is in modern contemporary lodges which make a great base for exploring the stunning coastline.

Fun Workshop Weekends Want to brush-up on your painting skills or want to try something new like photography, pottery, orienteering then Spice has it covered. Our photography workshops are an informative but fun way to improve your skills (you will need a SLR camera or one you can manually adjust) we hold these in Woolacombe, Snowdon and even in Venice & Florence, a great European getaway excuse! Try something really different such as a birds of prey weekend, you get the chance to fly owls & buzzards from your own gloved hand!

City Breaks Sea Kayaking Horse Riding Dance Classes Murder Mystery Edinburgh Festival Ascot Races & Party Night Badminton & Tennis Coaching Bristol Balloon & Harbour Festivals Mid-Wales Farmhouse & Activity & Workshops

Plus lots more more time, more fun!

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Walking with Spice Walking is very big in Spice and we offer a range of walking breaks from simple Sunday Rambles usually with a well-earned lunch stop at a pub through to more testing walking weekends in the Lake District or Snowdonia. Our friendly Walkwise team are fully qualified, insured & knowledgeable and offer an amazing choice of walks to suit all levels all over the country and normally run our weekend walking program. We usually get together on Friday night for a drink and a meal and plan the weekend, they offer a choice of two walks for Saturday & Sunday an easier and a tougher option for those who want a challenge. We also run walking breaks over bank holidays and over the Christmas & New Year periods.

We also offer a number of walking holidays abroad so be sure to check out our holiday program if you fancy a longer break away.

Most of our walks can be attempted by anyone with a reasonable level of fitness but please read the details carefully & let our guides know if you have any medical conditions which may affect your ability to complete the walk.

You should ensure you have proper walking boots & suitable warm waterproof clothing (jacket & trousers or gaiters plus a hat & gloves in winter). Also bring with you some water and a snack or lunch, a small rucksack is also handy, many walks stop at a pub for lunch so bring some money. You are fully insured on all of our walks, another bonus of Spice membership and all our walk leaders are equipped with maps & first aid kits. Sorry dogs are not normally allowed on Spice walks, however some walk leaders do allow them on our day walks but you must check first.

Above all our walks are fun & sociable and are a great way to meet & chat to other Spice members.

Walking‌ just get out there

Sailing with Spice

Spice has partnered with Encompass Sailing to provide the best possible sailing experiences for our members. You can choose from a fun weekend cruising the Solent which provides a safe sailing area with lots of passage options, whatever the weather, or a spectacular cruise along the Jurassic coast between Poole & Weymouth. Our Encompass yacht Kelana is moored in Gosport opposite Portsmouth. We start on Friday evening and plan the weekend over a relaxed meal and a drink. On Saturday after a full safety briefing and a weather check we set off maybe for Cowes, Chichester, Yarmouth or Lymington returning Sunday afternoon to Gosport. All of our skippers are experienced Yachtmasters and will provide you the experience you are looking for either a relaxed sail or to get involved helming, tacking, setting the sails and mooring and also to teach a few important knots! These weekends are suitable for those that have never sailed and also more experienced skippers who want to gain more experience whilst having fun.

We also provide the opportunity for more adventurous members to cross the channel to Cherbourg in France or to the Channel Islands. For a bigger challenge, once a year you also have the chance to be part of “Round the Island” race in which nearly 2000 boats race the 50 miles starting at Cowes.

For those who fancy a warm sunny sailing experience, Encompass have Delphini moored in Malta. We fly out early on Friday morning to Malta arriving just before lunchtime this gives you the chance to sail Friday afternoon, all-day Saturday & Sunday, returning Monday morning.

Depending upon the weather it is possible to sail around Malta and its northerly island Gozo with plenty of chances for a warm swim.

Both Yachts are Dehler 39’s, comfortable but providing an exciting sail.

For our UK sailing please ensure you bring warm clothes, layers are best (we provide a kit list upon booking). Lifejackets and wet weather gear are provided as are breakfasts and picnic lunches, marina charges normally a few pounds are extra & shared between the group.

Sailing… boatloads of fun

Social & Leisure Many members join just for our brilliant mix of fun social & leisure events. These often make good first events and are an easy way to get you started. Going to your first event may seem a bit daunting but don’t worry we have all been there, just jump straight-in Spice members are sociable and you will soon be making new friends.

Our mix of social events include Meals Out & Dinner Shuffles, Jazz & Comedy Evenings, Theatre & Opera visits, Bowling & Pub Quizzes, Parties & Discos, Black Tie Balls, Guided Tours, Wine Tasting & Afternoon Teas, Casino Nights, Workshops & Visits to all sorts of places of interest.

We also run a number of regular monthly events, our monthly socials nights are a great chance for members to get together over a social drink and a bite to eat, there’s no need to book just turn-up. We also have drop in & play badminton & unihoc evenings.

Spice - more fun, more friends!

Social & Leisure…

Dinner Shuffle Meals Our shuffle meals are always very popular which isn’t surprising as they are lots of fun. The idea is to shuffle places between each course, it’s a great way to mingle with lots of other Spice members.

It may look a bit chaotic (don’t worry it isn’t) but that’s just part of the fun and our restaurants are very used to it. When you arrive introduce yourself to our host they will give you a piece a paper with a place number for each course you simply need to move to that seat at the end of each course it’s simple and fun. These events always get booked very quickly so it’s best to book early.

Black Tie Balls

Dress to impress is the thing to remember usually dinner jackets for men & cocktail dresses for the ladies. Our parties start with a drink upon arrival followed usually by a 3-course dinner and a disco to the small hours. Often we run these with an overnight option which gives you a great chance to relax use the hotel facilities, explore the area or to do some shopping.

Parties

If there is one thing about Spice members is they sure know how to party and how to have a great time. We usually arrange a buffet meal which is followed by a disco. For a bit of extra fun at some of our parties especially leading up to the new year we may have a themed evening with roulette and poker tables, don’t worry you won’t lose your shirt as our croupiers provide the chips and they will explain everything.

At new-year we always have something special planned in Spice, it may be a party locally or a Thames river boat party cruise in London or even a New Year break in Venice.

Pub Quiz Nights

These are always very popular and are a fun way to spend the evening, our Spice quizmaster's will organise you into teams but just remember their word is final when it comes to the answers!

Visits to Places of Interest & Exhibitions Spice is great for visits to all those places of interest you’ve always wanted to see. It may be somewhere well-known such as the Tower of London, Hampton Court Palace, Kew Gardens & RHS Wisley, or a day exploring Greenwich. Or it could be something a bit more quirky or unusual that you didn’t know about, such as a visit to a Hindu Temple or the very bizarre Dennis Sever’s House. We also do a number of behind the scenes tours including the Royal Opera House, the London Aquarium, Shakespeare's Globe and Wimbledon Lawn Tennis club. We usually go for lunch or a meal afterwards which makes it a lot more sociable.

Another favourite are visits to exhibitions these have included the Summer Exhibition, Saatchi Art Gallery and the Natural History Museum.

Afternoon Teas & Wine Tasting

Another very popular way of spending a few hours. Our wine tasting sessions usually focus on a wine from a particular country (Italy, Argentina, France etc.) and are a fun and fantastic way to discover new wines. Our afternoon teas are a relaxed way to spend a few hours with other Spice members. Often we go for an afternoon tea after a tour or visiting an exhibition

more fun, more friends!

Social & Leisure Dining out & Lunches We love dining out and like to try different types of restaurants to suit all budgets from a simple pizza to fine dining.

We always have a Spice host at our meals, make sure you say ‘hi’ to our host when you arrive & they will then introduce you to the other members and help get the group to gel. At the end of the meal our host will settle the bill & collect any money for drinks (these are not normally included as this allows you to only pay for what you have had, please remember restaurants do add a service charge to the drinks bill). Lookout for our Jazz lunches (Ronnie Scotts is always very popular) these are a brilliant way to relax with some music, a glass of wine and some Spice company.

Tours & London Strolls London is a fascinating city, but how many of us have explored even a fraction of it? We run a number of tours including blue badge guides plus some unusual themed tours. These are a great way to explore, we usually head off to the pub afterwards for a bite to eat and a sociable drink or two.

Theatre, Opera, Concerts & Comedy London has an amazing choice of great venues for an evening out. Spice arranges regular visits to the Royal Opera House and London Theatres to see some of the latest shows plus some old favourites. There will be a Spice host to welcome you along, hand out the tickets and arrange a sociable interval drink in the bar (If you’re a bit late we usually leave your ticket in the box office for you to collect). In the summer months we often get together for a concert in Hyde Park, Hampstead Heath or Epsom Downs race course, some include a picnic and are a great way to relax on a summers evening.

We also run regular comedy evenings at the Tattershall castle and many other venues. Occasionally if you’re lucky top comedians including Michael Mcintyre have used the Tattershall castle to try new material.

Spice U40 Club & Preview Nights Our monthly Socials & Preview nights are a great way for members to catch-up with each other and socialise over a drink or two in relaxed surroundings. If you are a new member or have never been why not drop by, there is usually no need to book. They are also a way for prospective members to find out more about us & you can join on the night. A Spice host will be on-hand to help with the introductions, it’s very relaxed & friendly. We hold these in Central London, St Albans, Croydon, Richmond & Guildford, take a look at our web site for the next one near you.

more fun, more friends!

Many of our members are in their 40’s or 50’s however we have quite a few Spice members under 40 and have introduced a number of additional events to our programme to give these members an opportunity to get together and socialise.

U40 members also have their own monthly Social & Preview nights and we sometimes run U40 verses over 40 events such as our army assault course for a bit of fun.

Spice holidays something for everyone Whatever you want to do: Weekend Breaks, Skiing, Chilling-Out, Walking, Cycling, Water Sports, Dog Sledding in Lapland or Visiting that amazing far off destination Spice has it covered. Spice UK arranges dozens of holidays & weekend breaks every year and you're guaranteed to be having a great time with lots of like-minded Spice members.

Amazing Places Moscow, Cuba, Baltic Cruise, China, Jordan, Sri Lanka, Lapland, Andalusia, Sicily, Brazil, Iceland Yellowstone/Yosemite

Weekend Breaks Rome, Venice, Stockholm, Bucharest, Berlin, Paris, Copenhagen, Prague, Krakow

Activity & Adventure Tuscany walking, Skiing, Dance Grand Canyon Rafting, Lanzarote Sports, Amalafi Coast & Austria walking

Relax & Chill-out Tuscany, Turkey Cruise, Italian Lakes, Lake Garda

Holidays‌ Relax - Explore - Excite - Discover

Skiing With Spice

Skiing is very popular in Spice with each group arranging its own trip each winter to the Alps. In addition Spice UK offers lots more choices to Europe & North America. One of the great things about Skiing with Spice is you can always ski with a group of a similar ability, whether it’s blasting that heart thumping black or pottering about on a gentle green run before a hot chocolate stop. Our trips always have a Spice host to ensure you get the best from your trip arranging ski groups, lunch meets and the all-important apres ski activities including group meals. Spice use leading travel companies such as Mark Warner, Inghams & Ski Olympic and you only pay their brochure price and often less!

Les Arcs / Vallandry France

We normally have between 20 to 50 Spice members booked for each trip and have skied some fantastic resorts including Banff, Jackson Hole & Whistler in North America. In Europe we have skied Val D’Isere, the 3 Valleys, Les Arcs (France), St Anton (Austria), Verbier, Zermat (Switzerland), Sauze D’Oulx, Cortina (Italy) and Andora plus lots more. For our next ski season we plan to return to some of these favourites plus some new destinations, we hope you will join us for lots and lots of fun in the white stuff!

Spicy fun in the white-stuff!

The recent 2-part BBC TV program with Dan Snow re-creating Major Powell’s 1869 expedition rafting the Colorado River was of special interest to all those Spice members who have also rafted one of the most awesome rivers in the world. Powell must have experienced unimaginable hardships for 10 months with 4 small wooden boats and limited food supplies. Fortunately for Spice members running the Colorado river in eight days things have changed a lot! The food is plentiful & tasty, the camping equipment modern and the experienced river guides from the Grand Canyon Expeditions Company. navigate the large inflatable RIBS through some huge rapids safely.

A typical days rafting starts early just when it’s getting light (no need for watches, we simply call it ‘river time’) with a call for “Hot Coffee” followed by a tasty breakfast of bacon & scrambled eggs or blueberry pancakes & fresh fruit. Everyone helps load the raft and the river guides tie everything down & we set off down the river to explore. Some days the rapids come one after another, those at the front of the raft usually getting a drenching those in the middle a cooling splash, exciting yes, scary no.

Along the way our river guides tell us about the early explorers such as Powell & the ecology & wildlife plus the amazing geology, a trip down the river is a trip back in time nearly 2 billion years!

We make plenty of stops hiking to explore the many side canyons, rivers & waterfalls usually for a refreshing swim or just cooling off under a waterfall. Some of the highlights are Vasseys Paradise a green oasis where waterfalls cascade from the side of the canyon. Red-wall cavern, a huge cave carved by the river into the rock. Nankoweap where we hike to an amazing granary carved in the sheer rock face by native Americans . The lovely waterfalls at Shinumo Creek, Elves Chasm, Deer & Stone Creeks. Havasu Creek with it’s beautiful warm turquoise water makes a fantastic spot for swimming and relaxing for a few hours.

Along the way the views become more spectacular as the canyon gets deeper, in places it’s possible to see the top of the rim, 1 mile above the river.

For lunch we stop on a small beach and a tasty selection of salads, meats, cheeses bread/wraps & fruit are set-up, there is no going hungry on this trip! We run a few huge rapids and by late afternoon start looking for somewhere to camp on a beach along the river. The raft is unloaded and we grab a well-earned cold beer or glass of wine whilst our river guides prepare our evening meal, which is always amazing and varied, steak, fish, pasta, they even bake cakes for dessert. As the sun sets colours on the canyon walls change & Greg our river guide gets out his guitar sings & plays a few songs and invites us to sing along, we all do! Finally we turn-in to our comfortable camp beds, looking forward to another day in this very special place, overhead the Milky Way arches above and we fall asleep counting shooting stars.

Spice run this trip each year, join us for an amazing experience.

an amazing experience

21 Reasons for Joining Spice London Make lots of new friends very quickly Try something new or amazing We arrange & run our own events Everything is organised for you, just turn-up A Spice host is at every event An amazing mix of events to choose from A fantastic choice of holidays Try something you wouldn’t believe possible We have lots of experience, you’re in good hands Spice members are fun & friendly Spice is a national network Spice is local to you Great value membership Anyone can join - single or couples Age doesn't matter (providing you’re 18+) We often get discounts & pass these on Learn a new skill, interest or keep fit You’re fully insured on all Spice events Friendly & safe - we know our members Want help? phone us we’re not just online Don’t just meet up - live your dream!

Most importantly Spice is great fun!

Spice London www.spicelondon.co.uk dianne@spicelondon.co.uk Dorset House, Regents Park, Kingston Road, Leatherhead, Surrey KT22 7PL Tel: 01372 824223