November and December

Stock Car Racing - 1st November

Wimbledon Greyhound Stadium has been open to the public since 1928 and it remains to this day a real hotspot for fast and furious racing of all sorts. The GADA team got in to the spirit of things by enjoying some pre-race food and refreshments at a burger stall named touch of class.

Whilst enjoying some fine foods, the group were entertained by the sights and sounds of all the cars getting tuned up and ready for racing in a few hours’ time. There was a sea of dozens and dozens of cars, all different sizes, colours and shapes. It was a real treat for the senses.

Once in the stadium, the group found prime seats in the inside stand. The races began and the group split up to explore the stadium. Outside, you could really feel the buzz and excitement of the crowd, and especially the noise and smell of the engines.The merchandise stalls were all unique to the environment, which ensured everyone had a really special experience.

To top things off, not only did we get to enjoy the races, but before the last race, proceedings halted so the crowds could enjoy a fireworks display not to be forgotten. Mainly because we couldn’t see it through all the smoke :(

Stock Cars

The Tower of London - 21st November

This is one of the most iconic buildings along the River Thames, built in 1078 the Tower of London has been the home of famous Monarchs and infamous prisoners for centuries. Having already been to Buckingham Palace and Hampton Court earlier in the year,, GADA history fans were ready for more… so the steering group sent us to The Tower!

Harish and Ross were very impressed by the grand entrance to the building, and we were all interested in how old everything was. We took lots of pictures inside the gallery in the main tower, which now houses a massive collection of military artefacts such as King Henry the VIII’s suit of armour, cannons, jousting lances and even diamond incrusted hand guns. Next to be seen were the Crown Jewels, tiaras and crowns from the last 500 years. Kellie and Georgina enjoyed looking at the glamourous diamonds and choosing their favourite crown. Our day was made much more enjoyable with the company of our lovely Social Buddies Rachel, Sophie and Will. It was a crisp and bright winter day, but it was soon time to go home. We said a very special goodbye to our friend Will who is taking a break from Social Buddying while he returns to his hometown in Devon- we all agreed that we would miss Will as he had been excellent company on lots of trips.  We wish him the best of luck for his future. 

Tower of London

Madame Tussauds - 22nd November

'Go Anywhere, Do Anything' is a user led service- which means that our members make the decisions about where we go (and what we do!). For a long time our steering group had been asking if we could make a trip the famous Madame Tussaude's wax work museum. So this month we got to it- Roxy, Doris, Laurence and Angela took an Uber across town to come face to face (quite literally!) with their favourite celebrities.

Madame Tussauds

West Ham Vs Tottenham - 22nd November

Thanks to the generosity of the Clancy Group PLC the GADA team received 4 free tickets to the Tottenham Hotspurs versus West Ham United. Once at White Hart Lane, the group made their ways to their seats, which were right up in the Gods giving us a great view of the whole pitch! The final score was 4-1 to Spurs, who played some fantastic football. We certainly got our money’s worth!

 Westham

Christmas shopping - 6th December

Everyone loves Christmas shopping, especially Joyce, Suzanne, Diana and Alix who hit the shops early December to shop till they dropped. They enjoyed browsing the shops and looking at all the special gifts that were available to buy loved ones. Suzanne was super organised and managed to tick off all the presents she wanted to buy on her list. The ladies also enjoyed a natter over lunch, before heading home for some epic wrapping up!

Cinderella and the Beanstalk - 12th December

We’re doing pretty well at visiting most of the theatres in London, however were yet to venture to Theatre 503 in Wandsworth, so what better time than for a festive Christmas panto, with a twist!. Written and performed by The Sleeping Trees (Josh, John and James – pictured with Peter below) our GADA crew enjoyed a very special premiere of Cinderella and the Beanstalk. It was a riotous adventure with a whole host of exciting characters. With all the classic elements of a well-loved pantomime, Peter, Edmond and Donna laughed the afternoon away in the company of social buddies Bernardo, Paul and Alix.

Panto