Tabler - Autumn 2021

BLER BIRDMAN RETURNS Birdman is one of the wackiest fundraisers in the Round Table world ROLE MODELS Round Table catches up with more awe inspiring individuals from around the UK SKINFLINT RALLY basically an event where the worst car is the winner!

HOW MUCH ARE YOU GETTING? And the need to control our sleep patterns Autumn 2021 www.roundtable.co.uk

KATSU CURRY A curry night in 5D CHESS 5-a-side-CHESS was set up as a social enterprise in 2015 OUT & ABOUT...

- Hull, Glasgow, Salzberg

Summer is over and, as Ned Stark would say – Winter is Coming. This means our focus switches from warm weather, music and beer festivals to fireworks and Santa’s sleigh.

EDITORIAL TEAM EDITOR

Spent a lot of time slowing the process down.

Adam Baggs (Cirencester 286) region13@roundtable.org.uk

DEPUTY EDITOR

Actually did most of the written work.

Tom Hall (www.newwordorder.org.uk)

NATIONAL COMMS OFFICER

Input hard to define.

Liam Bauckham media@roundtable.org.uk

DESIGNER

Made the rest of us look good.

Clare Ferris (clar3ferris@gmail.com)

However, before we switch the central heating on and gather round the fire, this issue of Tabler provides an opportunity to reflect on a great summer and some truly inspiring individuals – your fellow Tablers.

We have included reports and details of some fantastic events but in particular decided to focus on Birdman and Skinflint – two of your most creative, successful and high-profile events.

Well done to everyone involved. Reading the reports has me regretting the fact I wasn’t able to attend either – something I will rectify in 2022.

Relaxed restrictions are allowing us all to get out and Do More, so I look forward to receiving even more updates for the next issue. There are some fantastic programmes and events taking place over the coming month so take lots of pictures and send content to: region13@roundtable.org.uk Yours In Table

Baggsie

Contents From the President...................................... 4 Birdman....................................................... 6 Al Collins.................................................. 10 Stories from the Table............................... 11 Skinflint Rally........................................... 14 Andrew Thorne......................................... 16 Matt Fallon................................................ 17

GOING DIGITAL

Gadget Roundup....................................... 19 E-Club........................................................ 20

INSPIRING INDIVIDUALS

Alex Beagrie............................................... 22 Richard Tang............................................. 24

HEALTH AND WELLBEING

5D Chess.................................................... 27 How much are you getting?....................... 30

AT YOUR LEISURE

Currying Flavour....................................... 33 The LP lowdown........................................ 34

TRAVEL & EVENTS

Travel Gadgets........................................... 37 Out and About.......................................... 38 National events.......................................... 41 From the IRO............................................ 42

ROUND TABLE FAMILY

41 Club....................................................... 44 Ladies Circle.............................................. 45 Members Businesses.................................. 46 Gallery....................................................... 49

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

From the editor

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It's time to have conFIdence in our community Without doubt, the entire planet has endured a pretty shocking 18 months and our Round Table Family has not been immune to this, says Paul Thompson, National President.

Events cancelled, inductions delayed, and social interactions neglected.

However, the time is upon us to start to reignite the passion which once burned brightly and get out there to #domore.

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Confidence isn’t just a ‘preference of the habitual voyeur’. Confidence is the key to our success this year.

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Confidence in ourselves – that we are able to put behind us the last 18 months and that we can and will serve our communities again.

Confidence in our communities – that they will gladly receive our service and welcome back our events and gatherings.

Confidence in our movement – that our reputation of ordinary men doing extra-ordinary things will prevail and we are great together as an extended family.

Have confidence to start planning Autumn events, firework displays, Santa sleighs and charter dinners. We need to escape the fear of ‘what if’ and help our friends, families and communities come back together, safely of course, and experience our way of Table life again.

I’m delighted to say that I have had the privilege of witnessing some of that confidence starting to shine through again. From the youthful exuberance of the men (and ladies) at Bushey and Oxhey Round Table to the thousands who came together as a community thanks to the Saffron Walden Round Table.

Then, again at the very wellrespected Community Day organised by Tettenhall

Round Table to the embryonic gathering of young men in Glasgow, our movement is slowly regaining its confidence.

Anything is possible when we have the confidence in ourselves and that of our community.

At one visit, Round Table was referred to as: “a beacon in their community by bringing optimism and light during recent dark months”.

One thing that all of my recent attendances have had in common was their

overwhelming community spirit which was clear by sheer volume of people who continued to thank the Tablers for taking time out to organise the events and work towards restoring normality.

Never underestimate the importance of what we do and how appreciated it is. Round Table is #rootedincommunity.

Let’s use this optimism, excitement and opportunity to grow.

Anything is possible when we have the confidence in ourselves and that of our community.

BIRDMAN RETURNS TO WOW THE CROWDS As fundraising events go, Birdman is one of the wackiest in the Round Table world, writes Simon Robilliard, Chairman of Ilfracombe Round Table.

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Seeing the return of fearless pilots throwing themselves into the sea was an especially welcome sight on Ilfracombe pier this August, after the trials and tribulations of the last 18 months.

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We are very proud of the reputation that Ilfracombe has across RTBI and even further afield. Much of that is based on the fact that we host one of the most unusual fundraising events around. Our town’s beer festival is run by the local theatre, and our annual fireworks are organised by the rugby club, while Rotary have a well-established Santa Sleigh. So we can’t do the traditional events

associated with Round Table. Instead, we throw people off the pier!

Going back over 20 years, Birdman is the single biggest day in the calendar for our little town on the North Devon coast. We invite (or cajole or strong-arm) local groups to build a homemade flying machine and attempt to soar from our platform on Ilfracombe pier. Of course, no-one has ever managed serious flight, but it is wildly entertaining to see how the pilots and their craft plummet into the water below, which is why crowds of thousands are always guaranteed.

At Birdman’s inception, this was the sum total of the event, and it used to raise a few hundred pounds from those who’d got sponsored to jump. But around 15 years ago, Birdman took a huge leap forward by incorporating a festivalfeel with live music all day, a bar, food stalls, children’s entertainment and more. It is now a huge-scale event, but we make it completely free of charge for locals and visitors alike to enjoy.

Ilfracombe is a tourist town, and our economy is reliant on persuading people to choose the North Devon coast for their holiday, against stiff competition from the endlessly trendy

While we are proud of how the event has grown, this is not without its challenges.

For example, putting on a massive free event does not exactly sound like the best way to raise money. We take good income from the bar, as well as other smaller revenue streams, but Birdman is now reliant on raising corporate sponsorship from local businesses. Around £10,000 needs to be eked out of ever-dwindling corporate budgets in order to stage the event, no mean feat in an area with a low-wage seasonal economy and no large industries to write big cheques.

We invite local groups to build a homemade flying machine and attempt to soar from our platform on Ilfracombe pier.

Staging Birdman in 2021 was made all the more difficult due to the ever-changing picture on Covid restrictions. Such a large gathering, with up to 15,000 passing through the event on the day, was of course impossible in summer of 2020.

However, with ‘freedom day’ pencilled in for 21st of June, we thought that our target date in late August could be possible. It would be tight, because we’d have two months to plan an event which normally takes us most of the year to organise. But we felt it was within our grasp.

large numbers during a time when that sort of gathering was certainly prohibited.

Also, we couldn’t book any suppliers or commit to any financial outlay until we knew we would be able to stage the event in compliance with whatever the rules would be after 19th July.

Then, a large spanner in the works.

Another four-week delay. The date restrictions would be lifted was pushed back until 19th July, and the government gave no real indication of what life would be like after that date. Would events like ours be subject to masks, vaccine passports or social distancing? All of these would have made Birdman untenable, so we awaited the news of what the ‘postrestrictions’ world would look like with bated breath. Luckily, our plans were given the green-light, so in mid-July we went into overdrive, trying to pull together Birdman in a little over a month.

Our biggest leap of faith (bigger than that taken by the pilots at Birdman) was to commit to running the event, before we knew whether we could actually raise the £10,000 in corporate sponsorship we would need to be confident of turning a profit. But we felt this was a risk worth taking, in order to stage a huge event and give Ilfracombe a much-needed boost after 18 months of covid-induced economic hardship.

We simply couldn’t start proper planning before then, much as we wanted to. For one, it would have made us look a little irresponsible, planning for an event with

As it happened, our small sponsorship team (just two plucky Tablers) managed to pull off a minor miracle by meeting – and even exceeding – that £10,000 sponsorship budget. This seemed particularly impressive in a year when every company had two ready-made excuses for saying no (namely, the economic fallout from Covid Continued

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

neighbouring destination of Cornwall.

Putting on Birdman is therefore a big deal not only for Round Table - as our biggest fundraiser of the year - but for tourist businesses in the town too, who all report their biggest single-day takings of the whole year.

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Birdman returns continued

town packed to the rafters, coming to enjoy what we have organised for them.

That was even more true this year. After the whole world had been forced apart for so long, it felt incredible to bring people back together again. To see locals and tourists enjoying live music again, then the wackiness of our flying contest, was an absolute joy.

and the late notice of the request).

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While sponsors were quickly coming on board, the Birdman sub-committee within Ilfracombe Round Table were working hard to get the other elements in place.

Stage, sound, bands, jumping platform, bar, food, trade stalls and fairground rides were all arranged, not to mention the boring but necessary work of licences, risk assessments, security and the like. All of this came on top of actually promoting and marketing the event, as well as the hardest task of all which is to get teams on board to actually participate in the Birdman flying contest.

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Time seemed to go very quickly from the ‘freedom day’ announcement to our event date of Saturday 21st August. Those four weeks were a blur for many members of Ilfracombe Round Table, as late nights and frantic phone calls became the norm.

However, as we stood on the pier on the morning of the event, it was such a buzz to see everything falling into place.

While Birdman is our largest fundraising event of the year by far, the money we actually raise is strangely of secondary importance for the most part. Our biggest thrill comes from seeing thousands of people descend on Ilfracombe, with the

Even the weather gods smiled on us (for once!). The forecast for the day was truly horrendous, and we’d prepared to get utterly soaked from when we arrived at 6am, right through until midnight when the packing up was done. However, we probably saw about 90 minutes of rain across the entire day, so fate was clearly rewarding us for our risk-taking and our determination to make Birdman happen for our community despite such a short timeframe.

I myself took flight from the Birdman platform this year. I felt it was my duty as Chairman to show that I was willing to take the same leap of faith as we were asking our other contestants to. I jumped in a craft shaped like a giant Covid-19 vaccine, both as an homage to the brilliant people who made this life-changing breakthrough, and to acknowledge the role Ilfracombe Round Table played in

helping with the rollout of the vaccine in our local community in those early days. Hitting the water felt like a sweet release of all the adrenalin that had come with organising this event. I was one very proud, and very wet, Chairman.

Seeing the return of fearless pilots throwing themselves into the sea was an especially welcome sight on Ilfracombe pier this August When joining Ilfracombe Round Table a few years ago, I was surprised to learn of the club’s standing within Round Table circles. How could a modest club from a small town in a remote part of the country could be so well-known?

I then heard of the riotously successful National Sporting Weekend hosted here in 2013, and how the wackiness of our Birdman event made Ilfracombe a real destination for Tablers wanting to experience something unique. During Covid we have lived up to our reputation as one of the most innovative Tables in our association, by investing in our own Drive-In Cinema setup. Not only did we

But despite all the things that Ilfracombe Round Table has to be proud of, including in the very recent past, I have to say that making Birdman 2021 happen ranks right up there. To turn around an event in four weeks, which normally takes the best part of year, was incredible. We didn’t have to do it either. We had raised more money than ever thanks to our Drive-In Cinema success. Our charitable coffers

were healthy, and we could have patted ourselves on the back for a very positive reaction in Covid times. However, we know that Ilfracombe needed this event.

The town needed music, fun, beer and laughter again. They needed to see people hurl themselves into the sea for their amusement. Sometimes, it’s the little things which make life worth living.

So, that’s why we did it. And I’m very proud to be Chairman of the club which made Birdman 2021 happen.

Follow Ilfracombe Round Table’s exploits at facebook.com/Ilfracombe.round.table.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

have phenomenal sell-out success with our own events, we hired the gear to other Tables in order that they could provide the same wonderful experience in their own communities.

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Community OfFIcers Update Fellow Tablers,

AL COLLINS NATIONAL COMMUNITY OFFICER

I hope you are all doing well. It seem s like so long since my last update. Sin ce then Tables have sprung into life. I’m seeing events pop ping up all over the place, from beer festivals to runs, to summer sleighs and world records bein g broken!

This is awesome stuff! It’s showcasing what Table is all about, having fun whilst helping some amazing causes at the same time. Plea se do keep the stories coming to me so I can help share the good news!

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For the fantastic event that was Car Fest, Tablers joined with circlers to raise over £68k in two weekends. This money will be spli t between Children in Need and var ious other children's charities. Massive thanks to those Tablers who stepped in at late notice to help. Next year we’ ll have a lot more notice so we can get even more Tablers there enjoying a great weekend and raising even more much-needed mon ey.

As you know we are now approachin g the business-end of the year with Children in Need, firework and sleigh season coming up thick and fast! I’ d like to join some of you if possible at your events. Please do drop me an ema il at community@roundtable.org.uk and I’ ll do my best to drop in.

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Are you a Table who is a little lost and looking to refresh with new commun ity initiatives? Drop me an email, I’ d love to work with you to make this happen. Your community project could be something small like litter picking in your local town, it doesn’ t have to be a mas sive firework display, it just gets the roundel visible in your community and in turn can help with membership growth. We can work together to help you get these ideas off the ground.

For now from me that’s about it. Sta y safe and I’ ll see you all soon Yours in Table Al Collins

STORIES FROM TABLE

ROUND TABLE SAILORS

Gary Tilly (Billericay), Gareth Olive (Billericay), Rob Menown (Chelmsford), Nick Johnston (Hoddesdon), Phil Williams (Portsmouth), and David Kness (Prospect in the making) all rendezvoused in Hamble Marina near Southampton where we collected ‘Femme Fatale’ our yacht for the weekend.

A weekend of bobbing about in the Solent lay ahead. Friday night we enjoyed a catch up over beers and burgers in the King and Queen pub, Hamble. After one too many espresso

martinis for dessert we retired to Femme Fatale for cheese and wine. Then, on Saturday night, we sampled some fine Italian dining in East Cowes, and several wines and beers on the deck of the yacht as the sun set over the marina. All very civilised, honest.

Plenty of sunshine on Saturday, but not a lot of wind. The winds got stronger on Sunday, but the sun was replaced with drizzle in the morning, true British summer weather. But that didn’t dampen the mood on board. We enjoyed the sunshine on Saturday, dropping anchor in a bay overlooked by Osbourne House.

It was warm enough to tempt everyone in for swim. Gary had brought a SUP which everyone had a go at paddling, with varying levels of success. With the stronger winds on Sunday, we headed east to the sea forts protecting Portsmouth’s

harbour entrance. We dodged the Isle of Wight ferries and hovercraft to get a closer look at the HMS Prince of Wales aircraft carrier. It was here that we learned, to Phil’s expense, that iPhones don’t float…

The reason for six seemingly random Tablers meeting? Well, apart from needing to blow a few cobwebs off after being lockdown all year, this was the first chance for a trial run of an RT sailing weekend.

We are making plans for a weekend 19-21 March 2022, costs to be confirmed.

We are looking for Day Skippers now and will so be announcing details for crew to join when we have several yachts confirmed. Get in touch directly or through this Facebook group: Round Table Sailors (www.facebook.com/ groups/801635340497403/ ) Rob ‘Meow’ Menown

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A rather motley crew of Tablers from Portsmouth, Hoddesdon, Billericay and Chelmsford were brought together for a weekend of high jinks on the high seas (Ok, so it was only the Solent)

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PEAK ACHIEVEMENT

On Saturday 7 August, members of Barry Round Table, joined by Christopher Bush from Colchester Colne Round Table 842, took part in the Welsh Three Peak’s Challenge For those that don’t know, the challenge consists of scaling Snowdon, Cadair Idris and Pen Y Fan within 24 hours.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

The team assembled on Friday 6th in beautiful Snowdonia to prepare and administrate themselves before the start of the challenge. After a very short night’s sleep, the team awoke to scale the first mountain at 05:30, dark and damp with a looming forecast ahead of them, determined they set off.

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After a momentary respite, the heavens opened. It turns out the Red Weather Warning was accurate. 40 to 50mph wind gusts, waterfalls, hail and more rainfall than can be described in text made the accent to 835m (3/4 of the way) exceedingly difficult. To the point where a safety discussion was made and the group consented that it wasn’t sensible or safe to continue. Frustration set in, but no challenge is worth someone’s life.

Disheartened but not diminished, we set off back down the mountain. We achieved a round trip on Snowdon (minus the summit) consisting of almost 10km of walkways which on the descent became raging torrents of water and a hike of 4 hours and 7 minutes.

We were all crushed by this decision, but ultimately knew it was the right call to make at the time. Arriving back in the car park we were

greeted by our amazing driver/cook/support crew Andy Rosser, who had made brews and food for us while we were making our attempt.

A quick change into dry clothes and we set off towards Cadair Idris. Arriving around lunchtime, and with the weather having seemingly passed, the team set off, summit fever in full effect, there was nothing stopping the team from achieving this one.

After a 2 hours and 4 minutes of tough walking the summit was reached. It was at that moment that mother nature’s demoted Amber weather warning decided it was still in full effect and opened up with a torrential downpour with wind and hail in which yet again we got absolutely drenched.

An early morning accent of Pen Y Fan, dodging the soldiers on selection, a quick photo on the summit with the wind blowing in full force completed the challenge for us with an up and down time of 1:50:44.

After a short hop back to Barry our final destination was of course you guessed it... the Tynewydd Inn Pub for a well-earned pint and a hot meal. We were proudly greeted by family

members and Area 4 Round Table President Nick Richards who celebrated our achievement and empathised in our angst of not completed Snowdon.

We would like to thank Ten11 and Pukka Productions for contributing donations for our challenge t-shirts and everyone who has donated to Barry Round Table and for believing in us. We’re sad to have not been able to claim all three peaks, but are ambitious to re-attempt another challenge in the future.

A special thanks to Christopher Bush for coming all the way from Essex to take part in this challenge with Barry RT. Your experience, motivation and encouragement was needed.

We look forward to seeing you on our next challenge.

If you would like to donate to this event and help Barry Round Table fund their community projects you can visit their website at www.barryroundtable.co.uk Thank you Daniel White Barry Round Table 516 Area 4 secretary

charters and large parties were thrown about, and people who hadn’t seen each other in over a year anticipated meeting again.

The first day came and a contingent of local Tablers set up shop in “Spoons” Keswick, then the influx of Tablers began - spanning from Scotland to Winchester and beyond. The first night at the centre was Mexican themed – and it didn’t disappoint with people dressed as tacos, tequila and Day of the Dead characters!

The night flew by with music, beer and whisky.

People slowly ebbed to bed and the first day ended.

Keswick weekend came about because we seized the opportunity of a cancelled NSW and adopted the date. We knew people wanted to get back together and do what we do best….. party!

Within just one week our 85 tickets had sold out, and we saw that the appetite for large-scale events had not died through the difficult Covid period.

Keswick Round Table 424 was officially charted at the President's Ball in Carlisle on the 7 March 2020. Then, a few weeks later, COVID-19 and lockdown hit. Despite this, Keswick Round Table has not only persevered, but thrived by recruiting a new member, becoming an active part in the community and at the national AGM it won programme of the year.

Jack Beament, one of our newest members, family are the proprietors at Newlands Adventure Centre, so it seemed only fitting to have it there. Nestled in the Newlands Valley, it was a picturesque venue to have what would be a memorable occasion.

The tempo was set even before the event with a very lively WhatsApp group, full of new and experienced Tablers. Jokes from previous

It was a short hike to the first event: a six-man paddleboard race led by Matt Slater – one of the people behind the growth of Keswick Table.

After a nervous start this started going well and included a great moment when Mr Chris Bush asked Raz Shahid to jump off the jetty to find out that he couldn’t swim… he is still alive...

The next event was the bridge jump with Mark Farrell acting as hype man. People were once again nervous to start with, but after seeing a couple of people jump, they followed suit and most people had a go. All national attempted the jump *cough NOT DODD cough* especially Mr Prez!

The final event was a zipwire across the Lodore Falls. This was expertly set up and manned by Mat our newest member and Jack R. It was a great way to round of a day of activities before a short hike found us back at the centre.

The second night was Hawaiian themed, with some scary coconut bras and grass skirts setting the tone. Many pints were had (again) and fantastic speeches were made by Paul Thompson and Will Hay (Keswick Chair) . The night ended in the early hours with many a fuzzy head in the morning.

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A KESWICK ADVENTURE

As expected, everyone woke up fresh as daisies with songs echoing up and down the corridors of the Centre.

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SkinFLint Rally Back in 2017 a couple of Tablers from Coventry 23 were discussing what we could do for a Table weekend away.

We had driven to the Nurburgring for the previous 2 years and were looking for something a little different this time.

“Lets drive some crappy old cars to Barcelona,” was an idea that came out of that discussion.

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We had long craved to participate in a banger rally, but they were all quite expensive and required pretty much a full week off work. This wasn’t ideal, so we decided to just start our own.

Skinflint Rally was born, named so because of how tight the founders were!

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We set about putting some rules together, cars no more than £500, the higher mileage the better, basically the worst car would be the winner! We invited some close friends and set off with seven cars, all of which made it to the

finish line. It was a fantastic weekend and one we knew we had to repeat, but maybe make a charity event from it.

Fast forward to 2021, we had missed a year due to COVID. We had to change it from a European drive to a trip around Scotland, could we make a success of it? Could we get more than the 30 guys in nine cars we took to Turin the year before? In true Table style, we decided to give it a go.

Never did we dream we would have 100 guys in 30 vehicles all booked in. So on 9 September we set off, leaving Whitehaven at 8am after an altercation with a rather eager parking attendant. The convoy was interesting, we had a Unicorn, a totally insane Mad Max VW, the noisiest Volvo anyone has ever heard and a US

Army tank. None of us knew at that point just how epic this trip would become.

There are so many highlights from this trip, from skinny dipping at a secluded beach in Oldshoremore, to the Tractor boys of Ipswich stealing pretty much everything from all of the cars, whether it was bolted on or not.

Maybe we could talk about the incredibly stunning and dramatic scenery of Scotland, but then we might miss out the part where we recreated the iconic James Bond photo on the road that was used in Skyfall.

Maybe the best part was the fact we had a team of non Tablers book in from Carlisle, who are now looking to become members of our awesome organisation?

The event was won by the awesome guys at Penistone Round Table. They embraced the madness and smashed all the point scoring challenges we set them.

Of course, there is a serious side to the rally. Yes it’s about having fun and making memories, but it is also a fundraising event.

We put in a booking condition that each team has a £500 minimum fundraising commitment for a charity of their choice.

At the time of writing this the teams have collectively raised over £34,000 for charity and still counting. As Co-Organiser and Founder of this event I am blown away by this. How can we have such an awesome time, pratting around in crap cars and raise such a massive sum of money? I guess that’s just another awesome part of Round Table.

We are already planning next year’s trip.

The date and details will be released very

soon. Head over to www.facebook.com/ skinflintrally to find out more!

In closing there is one more thing I’d like to say without trying to sound too corny: If you have an idea or a dream, then go for it. A silly drunken chat in a pub can create a fantastic event which will raise tens of thousands of pounds, create fantastic memories and give you lifelong friends. All thanks to Round Table.

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No – all of the above are incredible – but for me the highlight was the camaraderie, the fellowship and banter that comes with Table events. Making amazing memories with people I’d never met before that will now be lifelong friends. This is what Table is about!

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Bringing back the buzz together

ANDREW THORNE

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

NATIONAL MEMBERSHIP & EXTENSION OFFICER

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CARRICK 1258 07786 735355 membership@ roundtable.org.uk Yesterday through a call at work, I ended up in a Charity Shop in Girvan.

Girvan, the wee seaside town on the west of Scotland.

What was sitting on the counter in that little shop to my surprise, but a gleaming Carrick Round Table tankard from our 10th Charter of 1992. After I handed over the handsome sum of £1, I started to think about the buzz that must have been around Area 47 during the 80s and 90s, as our area swelled above 20 tables.

smile returned to my face. A smile produced by those who worked so hard on that event which created a new buzz in our movement!

I often reflect on the Tables we’ve lost and the opportunities missed by the hundreds of young males denied the chance and life changing opportunities of Round Table. With only four Tables remaining in Area 47 it is hard not to feel a real sense of regret and disappointment at times. What I would give for a time machine to get to a meeting in Largs, Kilwinning, Dumfries, Stranraer or Castle Douglas and speak to those Tablers of the early 2000s and get them buzzing again for Round Table.

To all the lads at Keswick RT, thanks!

Then my thoughts returned to the amazing weekend of Keswick Charter, only a couple of weekends ago, and that

We now have guys from Falkirk to Solihull, Lytham to Harleston connected and returning energised to our own clubs, to plan the next chapter

of our collective Round Table story.

Over that weekend I held so many wonderful conversations with passionate guys from across RTBI working hard to grow table! I left confident the buzz is still in RTBI with guys like Steve Frost, Mark Farrell, Martin Sheppard, Gregor McDonald and Marc Drury,

you all helped me through a bump in my Table journey.

My Table like those of many Tablers I’ve spoken with in recent months, has had a slow re-start, but I feel the buzz is slowly coming back, so get out and take in the upcoming opportunities and make the most of the energy throughout RTBI. Keswick RT have recharged my batteries, so to all the lads at Keswick RT, thanks! You were just the medicine this National Membership Officer was needing and you left me buzzing for Round Table once more.

Where there is a buzz there are members to be found, I’m of to give some prospects a call.

Get in touch should you need help to get buzzing, I’m always about to talk Table!

Like father, like son down the Avon Gorge, go-karting and being dressed up in a Police divers dry suit after dinner at a meeting, to name a few.

Some Tablers would say that One of the major highlights of the Table year was The National Conference. We were lucky enough to attend two National conferences at Torquay and Brighton, both of which well exceeded expectations.

DOB and years active in Table: 22-11-1950. Bath Round Table No. 91 1985-1991.

Table roles: Table secretary Why did you join?

The husband of a friend of my wife happened to be a member of Bath RT he invited me to a few meetings and eventually I was invited to join.

I had been aware of Round Table for some time as they had always held high profile events in Bath and thought I would like to be a part of such an organisation but was unsure how to apply for membership.

I think the lasting memories of Table are the friendships my wife and I made and the experiences we had over the years.

What were your Table highlights?

I have so many memories. The experiences of Chairman’s Day, clay pigeon shooting, abseiling

But can you pick a favourite?

I think the major highlight of my time in Table was being lucky enough to have been chosen to attend WOCO in Quebec in 1989.

It was amazing to see how far the hand of friendship is extended around the world. To be able to meet with similarly minded people from all over the world was an incredible experience. I had no idea how vast an area is covered

by Round Table and her sister organisations and the charitable works they carry out.

Did you want your son to join?

I never thought about Matthew joining Table but was very glad he did and was especially proud when I attended his induction.

(Editor's note - Matt was incapable of downing his induction cup and Paddy had to finish it for him - poor effort).

I didn’t aspire to great office in Table, I just enjoyed being a member, so it was incredible when Matthew told us he had been elected National Vice-President and my wife and I will hopefully be there when he becomes National President.

MATT FALLON DOB and years active in Table: 22.09.1978, 12 years I think…?

Table roles: Table Chairman, Region 13 Rep, National Programme Officer, National Vice-President.

Why did you join?

I had played rugby from the age of 6, but when I stopped playing at around 28 I had void in my life. I missed the camaraderie, banter and the social aspect. I didn’t miss waking up unable to move though. My father suggested I look up my local Table as they may be able to fill the “void” that I had. He was right!

What did you see as the good in your father being a member growing up?

I remember going to the Rec in Bath for Fireworks every year.

The kids of the Tablers would collect all of the tickets that had been dropped on the floor at the gates and ensure not one was left anywhere! Also, the Sedan Chair Race throughout the streets of Bath which drew thousands of spectators from all over the city.

What has been your experience of Table so far?

It has changed my life. I have made lifelong friends who have helped me celebrate good times and have been at the end of the phone or bar during the bad times. I wish I had joined 10 years earlier!

What didn’t you father tell you about?

The strength of the bonds that you would develop with fellow

Tablers and access to a national and international network of like minded men who share your values.

What you hope to gain from Table?

I know I am a better person for having joined Table. I hope my boys can see what I have experienced has been a positive experience for them as well.

Favourite Table moment to date?

So many... International weekends away, NSW, National Conference weekends but certainly the proudest was hearing that I would be the next National VP. Would you want your son to join and what do you hope table will be like for him?

They turn 18 in my final Table year, so hopefully I can increase Cirencester’s membership by two that year. I hope they find a welcoming, diverse organisation that is still very much part of local communities and continues to support so many incredible local good causes.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

PADDY FALLON

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Going digital

CAR LOCK

KEEPING WARM

While we don’t endorse going full ‘Liam Neeson in Taken’ on any car thieves, it is reassuring that, should you be relieved of your pride and joy, the situation need only be temporary. CarLock allows you to keep an eye on your car at any time of the day, from any location, through your smartphone. Its app (available on both Android and iOS) allows you to monitor when your vehicle is moved, when the engine is started and if there’s any unusual vibrations.

Its detailed GPS function helps you to track where the vehicle is going (in the event that it’s been stolen) or has been previously. The whole subscription package is £6.95 a month.

Let’s face facts, it’s about to get a tad nippy out. Your mum might’ve recommended putting a warmer sweater on, but failing that, the Honeywell UberHeat Ceramic Personal Heater is far more reasonable.

The heater allows you to choose between two constant heat settings or change the thermostat. You can choose between Max Setting (To heat up an entire room) and Low Setting (For personal heating). You can also save energy expenditures by turning down the Whole Home Thermostat a few degrees and just heating the room you are in.

CARLOCK

PERSONAL HEATER

£59.90

HONEYWELL UBERHEAT CERAMIC £40

MUSIC ON THE GO Sonos has a wealth of competition in the portable market, so it had to make its shot count. Its key feature is Trueplay tuning, which adapts the Roam’s sound to your surroundings and whatever it is you’re listening to. The company’s newest device also looks sleek, is hard wearing and and boasts incredible sound. For the cack handed among you, the speaker is drop resistant as well as waterproof up to three feet (for thirty minutes). Meanwhile, the battery life is up to 10 hours. sonos.com

Sonos Roam, £159

OLD-SCHOOL KITSCH If you like your coffee creamy and kitsch Swan's old-school espresso might be the dream steam machine for you. Marvel at its vintage-style

temperature dial on which you can watch the hand go round while the die-cast boiler does its stuff. It’s also super simple to start up: with just three buttons and a dial, there's little room to go off the rails.

The Swan Retro Pump

£100

WORLD IN MOTION We often include a blow-the-budget consumer good in this section, and here’s one fit for a hero, but requiring a super-villain budget. Inspired by James Bond’s latest outing No Time To Die, Land Rover’s latest limitedrun Defender, the V8 Bond Edition, has a run of only 300, 15 of which are available in the UK. Its other big selling point is its finely-tuned performance. Under the hood is the Defender V8’s supercharged 5.0-litre 525PS engine, hitting 0-60mph in a fleeting 4.9s. Inspired by the black-onblack off-roaders seen fleeing from nefarious sorts in the afore mentioned film, the vehicle features 007 badges on the back, impressive treadplates and an 11.4in infotainment system.

LAND ROVER DEFENDER V8 BOND EDITION

STARTING AT £105,395

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

GADGET ROUNDUP

Cars, coffee and choons feature in this issue’s must-have gadgets

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e-club maintains connections E-CLUB IS ADJUSTING TO NOT HAVING SUCH A CAPTIVE AUDIENCE ALTHOUGH IT HASN'T TAKEN IT'S FOOT OFF THE GAS, OR THE FINGER OFF THE MOUSE, SAYS STEPHEN FROST

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

We’ve been busy getting the miles in and ‘Being Active’ as part of Round Table International’s ‘Move for Mental Health’ Strava group, which brings me nicely on to our efforts to emphasise how E-Club, as well as other Tables, can help guys achieve the Five Ways of Wellbeing:

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• Be Active • Connect • Take Notice • Learn • Give To help guys ‘Take Notice’ we’re continuing our programme of questionand-answer sessions and,

following our joint interview with Ladies Circle E-Club of Karen from Round Table Children’s Wish, we recently interviewed founder and owner of a 25-year-old Internet Service Provider, Richard Tang (see page 24).

He spoke on issues from the future of the internet to responsible capitalism to becoming net zero – visit our Facebook Page to re-watch this as well as our back-catalogue.

By putting on a virtual-gin

tasting and distillery tour soon we’re looking to give guys the opportunity to ‘Learn’… honestly… and will be looking to put on another one of our cook-alongs in the not-toodistant future.

‘Connect’ is at the heart of what we do via WhatsApp, Facebook and Zoom (we’re looking forward to having a game of virtual Cards Against Humanity for our next social) and we’re still working on how we can ‘Give’ – as always, if you have any activities you need

support with then let us know and we’ll look to lend a hand.

As with all Tables, we’re continually looking to expand so if you know someone who doesn’t have a Table near them, then give them our details and ask them to get in touch. By becoming a member they’ll have access to great publications such as this one and Tuesday Tabler as well as the opportunity to attend Local, Area, Regional and National events, etc.

Inspiring individuals

TRAIN OF THOUGHT Disrupting markets is the goal of any budding entrepreneur. Tabler talked to Alex Beagrie, Principal, Exchange Train, about how he did just that

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

What inspired you to disrupt the conveyancing market and create Exchange Train?

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I think the inspiration behind Exchange Train originated from the fact that within the conveyancing sector the consumer could be so easily manipulated.

Conveyancing is such an unspoken about process – but such an instrumental part of one of the biggest investments people are ever going to make – and to have knowledge, trust, and confidence in the people you need working on your behalf I think is incredibly important.

When I began the venture, it seemed many industry professionals were against a 24 year old trying to change something

that worked so heavily in their favour however, the reluctance to champion the consumer or provide an even-playing field was what drove me to take the plunge and Exchange Train was born.

You managed to raise £123,000 this year through crowdfunding rather than the traditional funding route – why?

To be brutely honest, I didn’t have a choice. My unfortunate circumstance of launching the first Exchange Train platform two days before our first national lockdown and seven days prior to the UK property market coming to an absolute standstill left the company bank account ‘short’ to say the least.

Before conversations could even start between myself and Angel Investors or Venture capital firms, I knew the business wouldn’t have a leg to stand on so, I had £1,500, an un-tested website and possibly the most mediocre crowdfunding video you could fathom. My strategy was to trust the value that the platform could bring in the hopes that the UK public wanted the service as much as I believed. 10,000 users, 192 investors, 22 solicitors and a 40-day crowdfunding campaign later I was 25% overfunded with a proven, valuable, and scalable platform.

What’s your personal ambition?

My personal ambition is probably to be someone of value. I didn’t do too well in

school, I was often seen as lazy, a quitter, maybe even mildly ‘simple’ but I always wanted to make a difference and do or contribute to something. Not only was this for my self-satisfaction, but to prove people wrong and show that you don’t have to be a child genius, hard academic or 50yr industry expert to make a difference.

What inspires you?

Inspiration is a tricky one as you can go from one extreme of ‘the want to help people’ all the way to ‘Elon Musk’ or even finances. However, money’s probably more of a motivation than inspiration.

Personally, I’m inspired by a close friend of mine who set up a business around the same time I did and has (similarly to myself) tripped over every hurdle possible and had to brush himself off when bringing his business into fruition.

His unique ability to seek the positives

in everything and maintain enthusiasm no matter what, has provided me with so much admiration its inspiration.

What does being shortlisted for a Lloyds Bank British Business Excellence Award mean to you?

Being shortlisted for the awards was a very proud moment for myself and my team.

I believe what makes us as a business so unique is the growth and value we have previously managed to provide with the limited finances and resources we dedicated and to receive recognition for this is a fantastic motivator. To be alongside so many other fantastic businesses is a true honour and we’re grateful to participate as a finalist for new business of the year award.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

I didn’t do too well in school, I was often seen as lazy, a quitter, maybe even mildly ‘simple’ but I always wanted to make a difference

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RICHARD TANG

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

The founder of Zen Internet peers into his crystal ball, revealing an AI revolution that will change all our lives

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How did you start out?

What’s coming next?

Zen started in 1995, and we now take the internet so much for granted. People generally speaking didn’t use the internet.

I was sitting in a pub and asked my brother if the internet would take off, and he agreed to build the network.

The internet will continue to get faster, with better TV definition, but what will be revolutionary is AI. There’s now voice recognition fairly recently, but we’re starting to see self-driving vehicles coming in.

We started in a small office in Rochdale, just the two of us, then started to sell internet access accounts for £10 per month. It was technically minded home users back then – people with tech magazines in their houses, but by 2010 it was being demanded as a human right.

Our service is about 35,000 times faster now! Our bandwidth use goes up 40% per year so we continuously upgrade our network.

Then there’s shops. Amazon has stores with no checkouts, which feels odd, like you’re shoplifting, but actually you are tracked via face recognition and they know what you’ve bought with you.

So AI will revolutionise our lives with new opportunities, like vaccines via processes like protein folding. 350 AI researchers were asked when it will achieve certain tasks – the views varied from ten to 100 years, but by 2028 trucks will be AI

driven, and by 2049 they think it’ll be writing best-selling novels. By 2060 they think it will do every task better, more cheaply and more effectively. That’s less than 40 years. It’s exciting and scary.

What will humans do?

There’s lots of worthwhile things humans can do. Lots of jobs we do were taken away in the Industrial Revolution, but humans adapt and accept the world as it is. Computers will get smarter and smarter.

Will we always need wired connections?

Every time there’s a new iteration of mobile technology, people say it’s the end of wired, but I think they’re complementary. Full Fibre vs 5g may

be comparable but with lots of people using the same mast, it will limit the data speeds. You want to stream 4k over fibre still and Virgin and the likes recognise the opportunities for building out their networks. But once built the market is shut for new entrants. There’s about 50 companies competing. Open Reach is the dominant provider.

We now employ 540 people turning over £100m per year. We’re still small in comparison, but grow every year and the challenge is how to grow and differentiate when the big four players have deeper pockets. We focus on quality, providing the best service we can. We attracted a group of customers who will pay a few pounds more for fast, reliable and well supported internet that doesn’t have overseas call centres. We’ve got to the top of the table from Which? And that’s been a great lead. In the future we want to be a true challenger brand, becoming more of a household name.

Tells us about B Corp…

We are part of the B Corp community which looks at the social responsibility of companies, with articles of association building in metrics for the environment, staff treatment etc. We write an annual Impact Report, which is saying this is the good we’ve done for the environment.

And it’s audited by B Corp, which is the only one that gives directors that legal responsibility. I’ve even written provision in my Will to put the company in the hands of a trust that look after putting the company to the cause of good. I blame the system that’s not working long-term, not ‘evil individuals’.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

There’s lots of worthwhile things humans can do. We adapt and accept the world as it is.

How will Zen stay relevant?

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health & wellbeing

5D chess 5-A-SIDE-CHESS WAS SET UP AS A SOCIAL ENTERPRISE IN 2015,

BY CO-FOUNDERS ROSS SMITH AND IAN MCKAY, IN RESPONSE TO THEIR CONCERN ABOUT THE LEVELS OF DISCONNECTION AND INEQUALITY THAT THEY SAW IN SOCIETY

The project has a huge mission – to create connection in order to tackle loneliness, social isolation and the mental ill health and depression that these issues can cause.

5-a-side-CHESS was invented as a shorter, quicker version of the traditional game of chess.

Chess is understood and played all over the world, meaning that people can still engage and connect over chess and coffee even when they don’t speak the same language.

Since 2018, the 5asideCHESS Battling Suicide Bus has been on the road, visiting towns and cities all around the UK. The bus carries a simple but powerful message, #CHECKONYAMATE, urging people to check up on the people they care about. The bus is signed with more than 300 messages to loved ones lost to suicide – tangible evidence of the devastating ripples caused when someone takes their own life. So many of the messages people have written on the bus are along the theme of ‘I just wish we had talked’ and yet talking is not that easy.

In 2019 there were 6,524 registered deaths in the UK by suicide, three quarters of which were men. In fact, suicide is the single biggest killer of men under the age of 45 in the country. Despite being regularly urged to talk, many men find it uncomfortable to open up when they feel low and often use that four letter ‘F’ word, “I’m

fine”, regardless of how they are really feeling.

5asideCHESS can be used as a tool to facilitate conversation or just to show that you care.

Playing a game avoids the need for eye-to-eye contact making talking more comfortable. You can of course play the whole game face-to-face in one go but you can also play remotely, a couple of moves a day over a number of days or weeks.

Making a move is a reason to get in touch each day and to keep regular contact going. For 52 year-old Paul, who has been isolating on his own for health reasons throughout the pandemic, a nightly call with Ross to play a couple of moves of 5asideCHESS and have a brief chat about the day has literally been his lifeline.

As Paul said: “We would never have called each other every day without our games of 5asideCHESS. Thinking about my next move gives me something positive to focus on each day rather than watching the news and despairing about the world”.

With all this talk about mental health and suicide, you could be forgiven for thinking that is what 5asideCHESS is all about, but actually, it is much simpler than that: 5asideCHESS is primarily about connection as connection is the antidote to loneliness.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

The mental health benefits of chess are well documented, with chess therapy dating back to Baghdad hospital in the 9th century which makes it 1,000 years older than Freudian psychoanalysis! Chess can be beneficial for conditions such as anxiety, ADHD, and dementia. But also, being a metaphor for life, chess can help teach and reinforce important life skills.

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5asideCHESS has a couple of programmes which can be used independently or simultaneously. ‘Doing the 25’ is a project to go out and play 25 different people, building experiences, connection and understanding along the way. Once the form has been completed with 25 different names on it then the person earns a 5asideCHESS Master medal engraved with their name.

The project has a huge mission – to create connection in order to tackle loneliness, social isolation and the mental ill health and depression that these issues can cause.

The second programme is the 30-step conversation starter guide of 30 life skills which can be discussed and practised through playing 5asideCHESS. This is particularly

aimed at younger players to help them build important skills such as resilience, empathy, consequences of action, etc, but it is still relevant at any stage of life. Parents and grandparents can help children enormously by supporting their children to do their 25 and to talk with them about each of the skills, what they mean and why they are important.

Think of 5asideCHESS as a tool, not a service.

You know the issues in your neck of the woods.

Our ask to you is to use the 5asideCHESS tool to be a community builder. We are currently working with a magistrate who wants to use 5asideCHESS to teach youngsters consequences of action. We are working with an NHS Manager who wants to help ex veterans to get out of bed in the morning by tasking them with a mission to go and play 5asideCHESS with older people in care homes.

We are working with a young persons’ homeless hostel manager who wants to use 5asideCHESS to challenge the youngsters to go out in to the town centre to learn social skills rather than social media skills. We are working with a 20-year-old refugee in Nakivale Refugee Camp in Uganda who wants 5asideCHESS to help hundreds of young refugees to build resilience, overcome trauma and learn a foreign language…. the list goes on.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

PAY WHAT YOU CAN...

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As a social enterprise, 5asideCHESS is not after funding or charitable donations.

Where people or organisations can afford £7.50 for the programme (cardBOARD 5asideCHESS set, conversation starter guide and certificate on completion) that is what we charge however we also operate a ‘pay what you can’ for those that can’t afford that and sometimes, when asked and budgets are tough, we donate them for free.

For more information visit www.5asidechess.com or email hello@5asidechess.com quoting Roundtable.

We are working with a Refugee Camp in Uganda who wants 5asideCHESS to help hundreds of young refugees to build resilience, overcome trauma and learn a foreign language

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

How much are you ADAM BAGGS, SOLUTION getting? FOCUSED HYPNOTHERAPIST

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It is truly amazing the amount we can achieve through better sleep. I hope everyone has felt the physical benefits of a good night’s rest. However, it is also incredibly beneficial for our mental health.

Good sleep with the right balance of light, deep and REM sleep helps us empty our stress buckets and keep on top of life.

Before I go further, I should take a moment to explain the stress bucket – although

hopefully it’s clear from the name. Stress is often misunderstood, and we shouldn’t assume all forms of stress are bad. Much like putting muscles under stress in the gym to build them up, a little bit of stress is good for us. It gets us up in the morning, ensures we earn enough to feed ourselves and keeps us safe. However, in addition to this useful stress, each negative thought and anxiety we have gets stored in our stress bucket. It builds over time – work issues, family problems, Covid19 uncertainty, money trouble… the list goes on.

Each of these negative thoughts and worries, plus many other factors individual to each of us, slowly fill the bucket until it overflows – which is when people tend to have panic attacks, anger issues or depressive episodes.

Good sleep is not the cure-all or a panacea, but it can make a huge difference, in many cases giving us the space we need to get on top of things. It helps above all else by shifting some of our stress out of the bucket via REM sleep.

Effectively, at night, we re-run the events of the day either in a direct or metaphorical way

and turn them from emotional memories to narrative memories, where we have control.

Would you pay 50p a night to sleep better?

That’s roughly £1,250 over the average sevenyear lifespan of a mattress.

they had better rest. That changes over time but it is very easy to identify a few areas that can help improve sleep.

Screen time – we all know we should have less of it and certainly not before we sleep. However, it doesn’t stop us having that last flick through Facebook, watching yet another episode of Line of Duty or sending just one more text. Switch them off earlier and leave them outside the bedroom if possible – certainly using a phone as an alarm next to the bed is a poor choice.

Booze – no you don’t sleep well after a heavy night out – you are basically unconscious. Alcohol and drugs hugely impact our sleep and also cause myriad other chemical imbalances. Trying to tell Tablers not to drink is like trying to stop the tide with a sieve – but a bit of moderation wouldn’t harm any of us.

Bedding – chances are high that, if

you are in a relationship, it gets washed more regularly than if not. Either way, clean fresh bedding helps sleep and so does a good mattress. Never consider a mattress to be an expense – view it as an investment. Genuinely ask yourself how much you would pay for a good night’s sleep. Would you pay 50p a night to sleep better? That’s roughly £1,250 over the average seven-year lifespan of a mattress.

Light and temperature are a minefield if sharing with someone but in general it is better to have the room cool and dark rather than light and hot.

This year’s Olympics once again highlighted the benefits of marginal gains - those small, simple practices that can help us improve one step at a time. Better sleep can significantly improve mental health – so start looking for those little ways to improve yours and see how quickly everything else follows suit.

Unfortunately, REM is limited in terms of how much we get so it doesn’t always clear everything out of the bucket, which is why there are many other positive practices that can help our mental health. However, REM sleep is free, it is natural and it is a great place to start.

Almost every single client I see says in the first session they sleep poorly and wish

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

You will have experienced it plenty of times. The idiot that upsets you in the afternoon at work – you moan about it to your mates who think you are overreacting and tell you to forget about it – but you can’t. You are still thinking about it at bedtime but through REM you take control of the issue and move it to your intellectual brain. In the morning you have either forgotten it or wonder why it bothers you in the first place.

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At your leisure

Currying FLavour This issue’s recipe from Colin Redman will leave you hot under the collar INGREDIENTS

1 tbsp cornflour 8 chicken mini fillets, or a 280-300g block firm tofu, or half and half 200g breadcrumbs (glutenfree if necessary) For the curry sauce: 1 tbsp rapeseed oil or vegetable oil 2 onions, chopped 2 large carrots, chopped, plus 1 peeled into ribbons 2 garlic cloves, crushed Thumb-sized piece ginger, peeled and grated or finely chopped 1 tbsp curry powder, mild or medium depending on your spice tolerance ½ tsp ground turmeric 400ml can coconut milk 2 tsp maple syrup (or use honey if not cooking for vegans)

METHOD First, make the curry sauce.

Heat 1 tbsp oil in a pan, cook the onions and chopped carrots until the onions are soft and starting to caramelise, about 8 mins. Add the garlic and ginger and sizzle for another 30 secs, then stir in the curry powder and turmeric.

Once the spices are warmed through, add the coconut milk, maple syrup or honey and 100ml water. Season well, cover and simmer over a low heat for 20 mins.

Now make the katsu. In a wide bowl, mix the cornflour with 4 tbsp water and some seasoning.

Dip the chicken or tofu into the flour mixture (if cooking for both vegans and meat eaters, make sure you dip the tofu first to avoid mixing it with meat).

Place the breadcrumbs in another bowl and dip the chicken or tofu in it, turning until well coated. When the onions and carrots in the curry sauce are soft, blitz using a hand or table-top blender. If the sauce is too thick, add a

little more water, check the seasoning, adding more salt, maple syrup or some lime juice, if you like. Keep warm.

Heat the oil in a frying pan and cook the chicken or tofu for 4-5 mins on each side until

golden and cooked through.

Warm the rice and divide between bowls. Top with the curry sauce, katsu chicken or tofu, and serve with the cucumber, carrot ribbons, herbs and lime wedges.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

CHICKEN KATSU CURRY

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The LP Lowdown THIS ISSUE, TOM HALL REVIEWS THE SHOWDOWN BETWEEN TWO OF HIP-HOP’S GIANTS Some might mistake all this for a promotional misstep, but Drake is hardly alienating his core fanbase here, and remains a marketing demographer’s dream: he’s a lover, but also a player; of dual-ethnicity parentage; Jewish, but embraces Emirati bling; sensitive indie-boy one minute, Hennessy-waving philanderer the next. All this while melting the hearts of ‘low-fat muffin’ eating college girls and those who ‘Started from The Bottom’ alike.

Drake, Certified Lover Boy

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

 

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5.2/10

After sporting a shaved ‘CLB heart’ in his hair for over a year and feuding anticlimatically with Ye (the subject of some catty jibes herein), the Drake-hype train finally dropped its payload on Labor Day (3 September) – a year later than planned – breaking streaming records set by the man himself.

The Damien Hirst-designed cover art caused given its nod to the a collective ‘accidental father’ revelations that preceded his last LP, Scorpion. On a similarly anti-PC note, the album’s description on streaming services prepares the listener for some ‘toxic masculinity and truth’. You can’t accuse Drake of lacking self-awareness.

This careful calculation continues on the album’s opener Champagne Poetry, which samples The Beatles’ Michelle – proving Drake can out-flex the sample budget of his last LP, which threw in a Michael Jackson hook. The track brings us up-to-date with Drake’s usual rich-guy problems and sets things off in epic – if predictable – fashion.

The proceeding tracks continue to play Drake I Spy. We get 90s heyday R&B on Papi’s Home, moody ‘barely-there’ production on Love All, In The Bible and Girls Want Girls – which features a cringey line about being ‘a lesbian’ that you can’t say he didn’t pre-empt.

Then there’s the inevitable afro-beat offering, Fountains, which like so many tracks here, fails to hit the highs of his previous cultural cherry picking.

The album’s highlights: Fair Trade, Pipe Down, Race My Mind and The Remorse play successfully to the lucrative Drake Formula, but you can’t shake the feeling that Certified Lover Boy hasn’t moved our protagonist into new territory.

The lyrics here are often slick, but feel like Drake-ghost-writing-for-Drake. Like Eminem’s late career arc, it seems he’s embraced the meme version of himself while forgetting some of the tropes that his real fans were there for. Gone are the oddly-specific references to romantic misadventures, or deep dives into new cultural scenes. His regular feature artists (Jay-Z, Travis Scott, Future, Rick Ross) put in some noble efforts, but it’s rarely enough to lift the album out of its mediocrity.

Meanwhile, 40’s production – which has always been one step ahead of the mainstream – treads water (albeit sparkling Saint-Benoit water) and over the 21-track marathon you don’t get the sense that the pair are as cerebrally connected anymore.

Whether this is the result of lockdown alienation or something more endemic remains to be seen.

Divorce (from Kim Kardashian), media drama (often of his own doing) and his struggles balancing faith and the spotlight are all covered here, but as the album moves on there’s a sense that Ye has too.

Ye, DONDA 

8/10

Making gospel rap palatable to the mainstream is a David-like task, but over its 23 (plus 4 extra) tracks, DONDA hones a whole new genre that echoes all Ye’s previous efforts while creating something wholly new.

While his adversary Drake plays to a familiar formula that continues to break sales records, Ye’s return sees him tackling the death of his mother – who the album is named after – while retaining hip-hop’s artistic crown. But, as the album testifies, the crown can often be beset with thorns.

DONDA’s opening half is darker and more frenetic in tone. Jail (featuring a killer Jay-Z verse), God Breathed and Off The Grid see Ye enter the Confession booth, facing his demons over distorted guitar chords and Satanic production reminiscent of 2013’s Yeezus.

Hurricane, a highlight and the most chartfriendly track here, brings the album back down to earth (or should that be ‘up from Hell’?). The Weeknd’s chorus soars high and isolated in the mix before Hammond organs underpin verses by Lil Baby, and Ye himself

DONDA hones a whole new genre that echoes all Ye’s previous efforts while creating something wholly new.

Jesus Lord justifies its near 9-minute length, grounding itself with a melodic refrain and a thoughtful verse that sees Mr West facing up to his sins before shedding his ego to dwell on the social issues many from his hometown face. Heaven and Hell, meanwhile, starts with a distorted J-Lo sample before building to a cathartic climax.

Other tracks worthy of Ye’s rap scriptures include bona-fide church jam Junya and Come to Life, which features a decidedly tasteful

piano pay-off. The album’s closer, No Child Left Behind (teased on a Beats By Dre advert) ends this mighty tome on a truly biblical note, ushering the album up to meet Donda in heaven, accompanied by angels as Ye’s demons are finally cast to whence they came.

With DONDA, Ye has made the rap game’s top-tier sing from his hymn sheet – encouraging them to focus on biblical themes; even avoiding profanity. While his breakthrough 2004 hit Jesus Walks insisted ‘we’re not trying to turn atheists into believers’, 17 years later it seems that goal has changed. The crazy thing? DONDA – over its 1hr49 of soul-searching lyrics, harps, gospel choirs, organs and the occasional chant – might actually achieve this.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

– who succinctly updates his life since his last album Ye.

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Travel & events

WI-FI ON THE MOVE

LITTLE DETAILS

This pocket-size mobile Wi-Fi brings your connection on the road to ensure your trip is not followed by hefty roaming charges. The device shares a 4G/3G connection with up to 32 devices including your phone, laptop or tablet all at the same time for up to 15 hours. Perfect for keeping up with RoundTable’s ever-growing Facebook community – little plug there.

M7450 MOBILE WI-FI

£149

SUNNY SIDE UP Here comes the sun, and as if our fiery life-giving star wasn’t pulling its weight enough, now it’ll even keep you connected on the move. This useful little solar bank allows you to charge up your phone without having to rely on a power source. This solar powered powerbank requires just UV rays to charge up – although it also has the ability to be charged via USB. SOLAR-POWERED POWERBANK £14

Those little irritations can really add to your travel stress. These little rubber ties ensure that your headphones will not tangle in your bag. You simply fold the headphones and wrap them in the rubber ties, which are also colourful to stand out in your bag. What’s more, these versatile objects can also be used to secure snacks or reseal bags.

NITE IZE GEAR TIES

£5.46

COFFEE ON-THE-GO Fancy making yourself a tasty espresso ondemand wherever you are? The handpowered coffee maker is portable and compact and compatible with Nespresso. It also includes a builtin cup. What a world we live in.

WACACO MINPRESSO

£49.99

FLAP-TASTIC Sure, the in-flight movie selection is fine, but why not pre-download your own movies for in-flight fun?

With this handy travel gadget, you can say goodbye to ‘TV neck’ and handily attach your iPad to the seat.

The Flight Flap Phone & Tablet Holder has two different models, one for the phone and one for the tablet it attaches to the seat ahead of you allowing you to watch your device in comfort.

FLIGHTFLAP

$19 (SHIPS TO UK)

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

TRAVEL GADGETS

Tabler rounds-up the gadgets to make travelling less treacherous

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Out and about Tabler gets a quick run-down of Hull’s attractions HULL - a mini guide What would attract 20-45 year olds to Hull - (quite a broad age range)

• Fruit Market and Humber Street, Hull University, coast and countryside, Gin school, Humber Street distillery, Ferens and the range of free museums.

What must try local delicacies would you recommend?

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

• Patties, Fish and Chips, and Chip Spice!!

What are the top local beers?

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• Atom Beers Name some must-try restaurants? - • Humber Fish Co • Tapasya • Butler Whites • Liquid Jade (tearoom rather than restaurant) • Nibble

Sea of Hull What culturally puts Hull on the map?

• Sir Tom Courtenay - Actor • Maureen Lipman - Actress • Luke Campbell - Boxer, Olympic Gold Medalist • Mick Ronson - Guitar Legend • Paul Heaton - House Martins • Former UK City of Culture 2017 What big events are there to look forward to in late 2021/2022?

• Hull Fair, Oct 2021 • Freedom Festival Aug/Sept 2022 • Humber Street Sesh 2022 The Deep

GLASGOW

WE FIND OUT WHAT GLASGOW HAS TO OFFER THE DISCERNING TABLER

What would attract 20-45 year olds to Glasgow?

What must try local delicacies would you recommend?

• Haggis Pakora at Mister Singhs or veggie haggis at the Ubiquitous Chip • Scottish breakfast Cafe Gandolfi • Sample some local gins at Gin 71 either Glaswegin or Makar What are the top local beers?

• Drygate, WEST and Tennents all have breweries in the city Name some must try restaurants?

• The Gannet, Cail Bruich • Paesano Pizza

What culturally puts Glasgow on the map?

UNESCO city of music: Bands hailing from or launching their career in the city, include the likes of Chvrches, Franz Ferdinand, Belle & Sebastian, The Twilight Sad, Snow Patrol, Travis, Texas, Frightened Rabbit, Mogwai, Twin Atlantic.

Oh, and Billy Connelly!

Glasgow also has a world-renowned contemporary art scene: no fewer than seven Turner Prize winners and eleven nominees have either been born, trained or worked out of the city in recent years and independent, artistrun galleries like Transmission and the ‘culturepreneurs’ at the Modern Institute all punch well above their weight in helping to put Glasgow on the world art map.

World class museums and art galleries: the city is home to more than 20 worldclass museums and art galleries; and is proud to have Europe’s largest civic arts collection with works by Van Gogh, Degas and Monet all available to view free-of-charge in venues around the city.

With such a diverse offering, it is no surprise that the city was named the UK’s top cultural and creative city (European Commission 2019).

What big events are there to look forward to in late 2021/2022?

• Celtic Connections • Glasgow Film Festival

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

The music scene, food and drink and culture

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SALZBURG

OFTEN OVER-LOOKED, THIS GERMAN CITY IS MUSIC TO OUR EARS What would attract 20-45 year olds to Salzburg?

Salzburg is a rather small city at the foothills of the Alps. For centuries, Salzburg was an independent church state with great wealth and influence in the German-speaking countries.

This led to the fact that the best architects north of the Alps shaped the cityscape here, especially in the Baroque period.

Since the 19th century, the city has presented itself as a miniature of a sophisticated metropolis. Tourists experience elegant city life, exclusive shopping pleasure and historically significant buildings in a tight space - without the crowds of a big city.

Salzburg is like Mozart’s music - you know it quickly and when you visit or listen to it repeatedly, you always discover something new.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

What must try local delicacies would you recommend?

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When it comes to eating, there are actually no real Salzburg specialties. It looks different with chocolates. Leaving the city without a Mozartkugel from Café Fürst would be a classic “no go”. This specialty was patented in 1905 and the recipe has not been changed since. They are still made by hand and are only available in Salzburg.

What are the top local beers?

Two beers are brewed right in town. The Stiegl Brewery was founded in Salzburg in 1492 and is now the largest private brewery in Austria. The second variety is brewed by the Augustinian monks - they still operate a real beer garden in Mülln, an ancient district of Salzburg, to this day.

Then of course – Salzburg is the birthplace of Wolfgang Amadeus Mozart Salzburg was the film set for Sound of Music What big events are there to look forward to in late 2021/2022?

• 2021 Salzburg Easter Festival in Autumn • Mozart Week 2022 • Salzburger Festspiele

Name some must-try restaurants?

• Stiftskulinarium St. Peter • Zum Fidelen Affen • Meissel & Schaden • Stieglkeller If you look for something extra ordinary, try Hanger 7 What culturally puts Salzburg on the map?

The Salzburg Festival in August. It is supposed to be the biggest classical music festival in the world.

Insuring success Calling all Tablers – do you run any public events with your Table?

DEREK COLLIE National Events Officer Fireworks, duck races, Santa sleighs and beer festivals are part of the reason we all joined Round Table, raising millions of pounds across the UK. As part of the organisation of those events, we have insurance cover in place to cover injuries and accidents to both your Tablers and the public.

This insurance is far reaching and complex due to the fact we do so many diverse events, but as part of the National Boards’ commitment to continue to add value to your membership, we have offered to cover half of the insurance excess on

This is a great opportunity to really get a flavour of the diversity we have across RTBI and whilst it’s not a condition of insurance, we thought it would be a saving that our clubs would appreciate.

Insurance Guidance for all

Round Table gro

ups located in the United Kingdom Period of Insurance: 01/0 3/2021 to 28/02/2022

The National Association of Round Tables of Great Britai n and Ireland have arranged on behalf of all Tables locate Public and Employers Liabil d in the United Kingdom. This ity insurance cover guidance document is desig covered, as well as your detail ned to clarify what is and what ed obligations for certain event is not s.

Each Table should ensure that this document is read carefully. Failure to comp being refused by the insure ly with the policy conditions rs. could lead to claims A “To Whom It May Concern” document, which provides a summary of our liability information pack. This can insura nces, be presented to any third is included separately to this parties who have a legitim ate reason to request proof of insurance.

Wha

t events and activities are

 

covered?

Most fundraising events and activities are automatically covered under the national policy Please note: Specific policy conditions apply under the following circumstances.

Please refer to specific guida nce notes contained within this pack: o Fireworks Events o The use of bouncy castle s and similar equipment o The engagement of any Third Party contractors

What events and activities    

should be referred to the

Example events:  Amateur Boxing Events  Barbecues & Hog Roasts  Beer Festivals  Black Tie Dinners  Car Pulls  Carnivals  Charity Balls  Christmas Carol Concerts  Christmas Tree Sales  Comedy Nights  Cycling Events  Duck Races

 Easter Egg Hunts  Fireworks Events  Football Tournaments  Golf Days & Events  Pet Festivals  Race Nights  River Raft Races  Running Events  Santa Sleighs  Soap Box Derbys  Tug of War  Winter Sea Swims

insurers?

There is no definitive list of

events which require referra l to the insurers, however as a National Association we insurers. have an ongoing This means that if the risk to which the insurers have been made aware changes For this reason, Tables who significantly, we are oblige intend to stage a new type d to inform them. of event which is not listed should notify the National above and could be consid Secretary (secretary@round ered high risk table.org.uk) at the outset event. The National Secret before making firm plans to ary will then refer the event host such an to the insurers for guidance.

If in any doubt as to wheth er an event could be consid ered high risk, please refer.

duty of fair presentation to the

This scheme What events and activities are not covered? has now fallen  The terms negotiated by our brokers are particularly comp rehensive with no specific  However, as part of our ongoi list of excluded activities. ng duty of fair presentation under my remit mentioned above, the insure new/proposed high risk activit rs reserve the right to exclud ies of which they were not e aware when assessing the overall risk at the start of the policy period. as National If you are in any doubt…

Events Officer so if you’d like to  Please contact Mayfield Insura nce Brokers for detailed guidance  Telephone: 01429 818489 take advantage of  Email: admin@mayfieldinsurance.co .uk (cc to secretary@roundt able.org.uk) this or you need any help on risk assessments and event insurance queries, please just get in touch NARTGBI – Insurance Guidan ce 2021-22 on events@roundtable.org.uk and Page 1 I September at 8pm where In the meantime, check out I’ll get back to you as soon as I can. can answer any events based our really helpful guide to I’ll also be hosting a special Round Table University online workshop on Wednesday 22nd

questions. Watch this space for further information.

our insurance policy which summarises the cover and exclusions.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

your behalf on the condition that you provide us with your risk assessments prior to the event.

(The normal excess is £1,000 but we’d cover the first £500)

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news from the iro Travel Bingo is Back!

With travel opening up there are a host of great opportunities says IRO’s Iain Richardson After the challenges presented by the pandemic, Travel Bingo is back, providing an opportunity for individuals from RTBI to visit other countries and see how Tabling is done elsewhere.

The rules for Travel Bingo are as follows: • You have to be a paidup member of RTBI.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

• If you have won before you cannot apply again.

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• The AGM and Accommodation will be paid for you. You have to pay to get to the AGM and your spending money.

• The AGMs that you can attend are: France, Germany, South Africa, Holland and Italy

Note on the second of the rules: if you have won previously but you were not able to go due Covid restrictions then you still can. However, please let me know by 1 October 2021 if you don’t wish to go.

Meeting Updates The World Meeting has been cancelled in India under the current format. The next physical WM will be in Denmark next year.

The next RTI / CEETM meetings you can book into are as follows: Ceetm - Bielefeld Germany October 15 - 17th 2021 RTI Half Year Meeting - Marrakech March 9 - 13th 2022 Side-by-side event / Halloween Party – Romania (Dracula’s Castle in Bran) 29 - 31st October 2021

Travel Support There are a host of other AGMs taking place every year around the world (editor’s note – the list was too long to print so contact Iain directly) Did you know that RTBI could help with your travel expenses? RTBI won’t pay for your trip but we can contribute to it. We have two funds available:

• John Watts Travel Fund: Any active Round Table member can apply for funding. One application per member, per year.

• New Generation Travel Fund: Any active Round Table member between the ages of 18 and 30 can apply. One application per member.

Please send the details of the meeting / trip to me via international@roundtable.org.uk

Round Table Family

41 Club Glen Lyon, 41 Club National Membership & Round Table Liaison Officer, has a proud fatherhood moment ‘Normal’, ‘Near Normal’ and ‘The New Normal’ have been familiar phrases of late, but we must continue to exercise caution to prevent any surges in the pandemic.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

As a follow on to the article in the last Tabler magazine, my son Stuart is due to take on the role of Chairman for Vale of Evesham Round Table 295: proud dad moment alert!

I shall blame any watery eyes on hay fever or something.

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He has asked me to be his President, and I can think of no greater honour for me than to be there to support and assist him in the challenging year ahead getting Evesham Round Table back on an even keel and moving forwards.

In the meantime, I have been off with two Evesham 41 Club members and our latest prospect (oldest member of Evesham, just turned 40) on the Skinflint Rally organised

by Coventry Round Table.

The trip covered 1,500 miles around the north of Scotland in a car cunningly disguised as a highland cow

– with 30 other cars and 100+ participants mostly Tablers / 41 Clubbers.

Anyway this magazine’s article is a shameless plug that just because you are aging out of your Table the fun, fellowship and good craic don’t need to end: 41 club is the natural home for exTablers young and old.

PS: Here is our JustGiving page if you have a couple of quid spare, we are supporting Dementia UK and a local food bank which we have supported during Covid19. https://www.justgiving.com/ fundraising/evesham-41club

A word from Ladies circle I have to congratulate you, I’ve seen so many adverts for local Community events

by Round Table for this Summer and Autumn and it has really taken me aback.

It would have been so easy for you guys to choose to play it safe and push events back to next year – but yet again you have proved, you don’t do what’s easy, you do what’s necessary.

MICHELLE CHAPMAN NATIONAL PRESIDENT LADIES CIRCLE GB&I 2020-2022

Your communities need these events more than ever, not for the money they raise, but for the spirits they raise.

Your communities need these events more than ever, not for the money they raise, but for the spirits they raise. It’s not enough to do good behind closed doors, you have to be seen doing good…

it inspires, you inspire. Yet again, we’re proud of our RTBI brothers.

We’re also excited by the chance we now have to build connections with RTBI on a local level with the recent launch of the ‘Round Table Family App’. If you haven’t downloaded it yet, it is well worth the £1.79 and if you choose to share your location, other members of the family can see when you are close by and you can see when there are travelling members in your area – a great way to extend our personal networks.

As I write this, we are six weeks away from our National Council Meeting and the Presidential Ball in Lincoln. We have a packed Council Meeting schedule and are optimistic that we’re opening a new era of engagement across the membership.

All of this feels like I’m wishing the summer away so I’ll draw this to a close.

One last note though, we’re excited to see the return of your Winter events and I would ask that if you are hosting any bonfire or Christmas events, please reach out to your local Circle if you need any volunteers… we’ll be happy to help and make new friends.

Yours in friendship, Always

Michelle

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

Happy Summer Gents! If you could possibly imagine me writing this in some glamorous and sunny spot… a Yacht in Monaco would be good. Of course, it’s not true… my life could not be less glamorous and as for the sun, I cannot wait to return from my current shade of radioactive red to pale blue!

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Tabler gives a voice to member businesses The Telecoms Audit Bureau provides fixed line, mobile, broadband, leased lines, high definition telephone systems and inbound call solutions to business customers all over Great Britain & Ireland. Massive discounts are available to past and present members of Round Table and Ladies Circle. To find out more, check out www.tariffaudit.com, email sales@tariffaudit.com or call us on 0333 200 4011.

Black Storm Brewery, handcrafted craft beer from the North East, available Nationally. 10% Table Discount from our online Store. www.adam-baggs.com 25% discount for Round Table Members Using Solution Focused Hypnotherapy, I help clients achieve the improvements, changes and goals they most desire in their personal and working lives.

With a background in the commercial and corporate world, as well as a passion for endurance sport I work closely with individuals and teams looking to perform at their absolute best.

I offer hypnotherapy in Cirencester and online I help with...

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

www.westnorfolkwebdesign.co.uk

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Our success comes from the successes we create for our customers. We offer every business an even playing field when it comes to getting online and promoting their services. With a range of affordable packages and 5 star ongoing customer support, if you're starting a new business or looking to grow your current one, speak to us!

www.blackstormbrewery.com/store/ Discount Code: Roundtable10

• Anxiety & Panic Attacks • Stress Management • Performance Improvement • Phobias • Depression • Bad Habits • Weight Loss • Irritable Bowel Syndrome • Anger Management • Sleep Issues / Insomnia • OCD

The Venue Portfolio look after a number of beautiful outdoor event venues across the UK which work as a perfect blank canvas for weddings and events. We offer no corkage hire options as well as full support to coordinate suppliers and timings during the day so anyone that hires one of our spaces can sit back and take part in the party.

Please visit our website to see our list of venues or to find out more about how we work with landowners to enable them to create an income as a host. www.venueportfolio.co.uk hello@venueportfolio.co.uk

www.skillsarena.com Makers of bespoke and personalised homewares, gifts and furniture. Delice Designs started with my partners obsession with Pinterest and finding things for me to make. After sharing these on social media I soon realised that there was a market for beautiful homemade items that are personal to every customer.

Enquiries: +44 203 693 2201

www.delicedesigns.co.uk

Specialising in using reclaimed timber we can create unique items that are as functional as they are exquisite and will be a talking point for any visitors.

Some items are available on our Etsy shop but we can also work on commissions to suit your space and style.

Capture House We attract more people to your business by making it look incredible and by creating powerful content that resonates with your ideal customers.

Hashtag Golf Travel www.hashtaggolftravel.com 01371 483444 Hashtag Travel Group www.hashtagtravelgroup.com 01371 483444 Hashtag Travel provides a straightforward, one-stop shop for luxury tailor-made holidays, golf breaks or corporate events. The team is highly experienced, knowledgeable, professional and friendly with the emphasis being on providing peerless personal service from start to finish, ensuring 100% satisfaction and an unbeatable holiday experience.

Whether it’s a Eurotunnel crossing or an Around The World cruise, we have the expertise to guide you.

Capture House is proud to have worked with some of the largest brands in the world including Red Bull, Subway, Unilever, Silverstone Circuit and Cadbury delivering photography, videography, design and web design services.

Our content creation helped Great Dunmow Round Table create the largest independent soapbox race in the UK in less than two years. If you want to grow your business and create something you’re proud of, we would love to help.

Discover how we can help you here: www.capturehouse.co.uk

www.threatpoint.co.uk

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

Founded in 2001, Skillsarena specialise in enabling the consistent measure of people’s skills, knowledge and personality. We provide you with access to a secure online platform that enables you to measure hundreds of skills, knowledge or personality. Anybody within an organisation can purchase access, from global HR teams, to individual managers of small businesses.

You can use our prebuilt assessments or engage the team to create bespoke assessments or convert existing paperbased assessments to online. Skillsarena provide a effective way to verify and evidence a individual’s ability, giving you the confidence to employ, manage and train.

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Give 2021 a taste of Italy with Hidden Vines UK www.badgerecologywales.co.uk Badger Ecology Wales LTD are experts in artificial sett construction and sett closures, and we work closely with numerous construction companies offering advice and project management in terms of wildlife and licenses as part of our role. We have a good understanding of project management methods and time planning in regards to the construction industry.

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

My team is made up of highly experienced wildlife professionals who have a wide range of knowledge of badgers, their habitats, and relocation options. Our team also includes a Veterinary Surgeon with over ten years of experience in disease management, who is fully trained to provide biosecurity advice and advise on disease mitigation. All staff are fully trained and insured, and our badger vaccinators are LANTRA qualified.

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Supplying all your favourite Wines and Prosecco at trade prices direct to your door locally and now all over the UK. Keep Dry January at bay or give yourself a treat to help you get through home schooling, say cheers with Hidden Vines UK. We also organise bespoke ONLINE Wine and Cheese tastings with Family & Friends thanks to the power of Zoom!

For more details call 07870 890975 Find us on Facebook at Hidden Vines UK and read our customer reviews.

A corporate event company covering conferences, training days and incentives. We can take care of all elements of your event from venue finding to delegate management as well as being there on site to make sure everything runs to plan.

With over 15 years experience in event management, we are able to walk the fine line between planning all details of the event to the smallest levels and dealing with any issues that crop up on the day.

If you would like to know more about how we may be able to support your event, please email derek@ theeventsexecutive.com or call 07792 140311. www.theeventsexecutive.com

Cannon PR’s approach to public relations is all about delivering results. We are an unashamedly small, independent company, which benefits from significant experience of delivering PR support services to a range of organisations, ranging from ownermanaged businesses to some of Britain's best known brands.

Whether utilising news-based websites, blogs, podcasts, broadcast media or traditional print media outlets, we apply fresh thinking to each client brief and every news story we put together, ensuring each press release produced helps to build credibility, authenticity and authority.

We provide special rates for members of Round Table. Give us call find out how we can help your business to grow!

For more details, call: 01709 321585 or email: matthew@cannonpr.co.uk

TABLER MAGAZINE * autumn 2021

Gallery

The Round Table Camping and Caravanning facebook page featured some great images of great holidays over the summer...

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