Our Luncheon Club Updates 2025

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The food was excellent but a bit ‘masterchefy’ portion wise. As ever the social aspect was perfect and everyone had a great time. We even managed some retail therapy as the students at the college had been making lovely Christmas cakes, chutneys and jam for sale. We were assured the cakes had been regularly laced with brandy for months! We’re looking forward to sampling it on 25th. 

Thanks once again to Allan for organising another beautiful meal. 

Hope everyone has a great festive break 

JT

Double click on image to enlarge

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On Thursday 27th August a number of members from the Luncheon Group decided to ring the changes by going out for an evening meal at The Half Moon in Easington Village instead of our usual monthly lunchtime get together.

We had a very pleasant evening enjoying good company as always and very good food.

I think everyone commented on how good the food was and all would agree that the portions were extremely generous. In fact maybe a bit too generous. We couldn’t quite believe the amount of food coming out on the plates. We all made a good effort to get through it all though!!

However the surroundings were a little bit of a let-down. Myself and Jean Mullen had a bit of a laugh about how it was like stepping back in time as The Half Moon was a pub that we often visited many years ago. Literally nothing had changed. Same decor, same carpet, same curtains, same everything down to the sizzling platters on wooden boards. HaHa!!

Having said that it the surroundings did not deter us from having a really enjoyable evening and I would like to thank Allan, of behalf of all who attended, for organising it.

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Chilton Country Club

The member’s reactions to this meal were mixed. Good, bad and indifferent.

Those choosing the prawn cocktail and the belly pork were well pleased with their meals.

My slow cooked shoulder of beef had been re-heated probably in a microwave and was very dry. The Royal George at Shotton, serve a similar dish and this was no comparison.

The chips looked anaemic and tasted no better. The boiled potatoes were only half cooked and most went back to the kitchen. The other rather boring vegetables were “al dente” (meaning undercooked) but these pleased some people.

Considering the meals were pre-ordered the service for starters was slow. They were one soup short which took a further 10 minutes to arrive.

The main course was served on cold plates and by the time the vegetables arrived the meat was barely warm.

Some members, like myself, had been here in the past when you were lucky to get a table at lunchtime even in midweek.

It was disappointing to see there were only six other diners apart from our group.

Unfortunately I am due to go back next Tuesday with another group for an evening meal. I can only hope it is a different chef!!!!

Alan Price

June2015

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£5 deposit at the next monthly meeting – if you are not going to be at the next monthly meeting, you can still book in for the Lunch Club – just send me your order, and I’ll sort it out.

For this venue, we have quite a choice of menu:

1.       The Blue House Bar & Restaurant menu – columns numbered 1,2,3, & 4 (my scribble) at the top of the page.

2.       The Blue House 2 Meals for £12 menu – columns numbered 5,6, & 7 (again my scribble) at the top of the page.

This could take a long time to read through at the monthly meeting so, PLEASE, PLEASE, PLEASE, as many orders as possible by email before the meeting.

Please indicate which MENU you are ordering from!!!!!!! Also indicate what your choice is if you have a choice of ‘chips/potatoes/salad/vegetables’. Again, any side orders being ordered let me know

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We continue to be one of the largest groups within Seaham Harbour U3A. There are 61 members on my list who have attended a Lunch Club outing at some time over the last 2 years. Clearly, not everyone can make it to every outing. But numbers of attendees have ranged from 15 to 37 in my time as ‘Leader’.

We are a friendly group of people who enjoy meeting up and getting to know each other better. To aid this interaction, I prefer the venue to seat us at tables of 4/6/or 8 so that people can (if they wish) mingle with members at other tables, rather than on one or two large tables where you can only speak to the people around you. However, this is not always possible.

We meet for lunch at 12 for 12-15pm on the 4th Thursday of each month at various venues, which you will find listed separately. Menus are sent out about a month before the outing, and orders are recorded in advance, and taken to the venue about 5/6 days before the outing.

I am always on the lookout for new venues, and many suggestions are received (not all repeatable!). I try to at least go and see each suggested venue before making a booking. Some are acceptable, others are not for a variety of reasons – lack of parking; lack of disabled entrance; too expensive; uninteresting menu; poor surroundings. But I hope the Seaham harbour U3A will continue to thrive, and that members enjoy and continue to support THEIR Lunch Club – after all, it’s all about the members.

Leader Allan Gurney

24^th April 2015

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The venue was very picturesque, especially on such a beautiful day. We had an initial struggle to squeeze ourselves in behind the table in the window but once settled we were very comfortable. The food was served very quickly and efficiently and we were soon tucking in. My soup was delicious and hot. Other starters were pronounced tasty by other members, particularly the asparagus and the meatballs. After a short interval the main courses arrived and again were piping hot and quite large portions. My gammon was lean and perfectly cooked with a delicious poached egg on top. Others around me had a variety of choices including Cumberland sausage – very good – fish (whale) and chips and a vegetable curry. This was rather hot as it went down but mango chutney was produced on request, which sorted out the problem. One member had the roast chicken which was ok but maybe a little dry. She still managed to eat it all however!

A couple of people had dessert which was pronounced ‘delicious’ and the coffee was just as we like it.

All in all a lovely meal as usual, good company, excellent ‘hot and cold running’ staff and really good value for money.

Thanks once again Allan for all the organisation and work put in – another hit! ????????????

Joan Temple

The post Lunch at the Three Horseshoes on April 23rd 2015. appeared first on Seaham Harbour U3A.

Luncheon Club Venues 2014-15.

25th September 2014: The Copt Hill, Houghton-le-Spring.

23rd October 2014: Maximo’s Italian restaurant, Castle Eden.

27th November 2014: Oak Tree farm, Doxford Park.

22nd January 2015: The Mill Inn, Rainton Bridge.

26th February 2015: The Roker Hotel, Seaburn

26th March 2015 Amiro’s Restaurant Washington

23rd April 2015: Three Horse Shoes Leamside

28th May 2015: Blue House Haswell

25th June 2015: To be announced

23rd July 2015: To be announced

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24^th October 2013: Oak Free Farm, Camberwell Way, Doxford Park, SR3 3XN

28^th November 2013: The Stables, West Herrington, DH4 4ND.

23^rd January 2014: Sambuca’s, Wylam Wharf, 12 Low Street, Sunderland, SR2 2JR

27^th February 2014: Seaton Lane Inn, Seaton, Seaham.

27^th March 2014: Durham City Rugby Club, Green Lane, Durham, DH1 3JU.

24^th April 2014:  Ashoka, 15 North Terrace, Seaham.

22^nd May 2014: Hall Garth Manor Hotel, Pittington, DH6 1AB

26^th June 2014: The Royal George, The Village, Old Shotton, P/lee, SR8 2ND.

31^st July 2014: Asiana Express, Unit 2, Echo 24 Building, S/land, SR1 1XD.

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We began in September with a visit to the Roker Hotel on the seafront at Roker. And we ended with a trip to the Asiana Fusion Restaurant in Sunderland in July. Inbetween, we have been as far west as Durham, and as far east as Seaham(!).

Numbers have varied depending on the venue and type of menu on offer. We have had as  many as 34 attending the Oak Tree Farm in Doxford Park and The Old George in Shotton; while only 15 attended the Ashoka Indian restaurant in Seaham.

My thanks are due to all those who have supported me this year as I took over the organisation of the Lunch Club. I hope you have enjoyed the meals and the camaraderie this year as much as I have, and that you will continue to come back in the future. Your help and goodwill this year has made it a very enjoyable and rewarding experience for me.

I hope that, next year, we can continue to find new places to visit within my 20/25 minute self-imposed radius. Any suggestions will be gratefully received – although not all can be acted upon!

All members of the Seaham U3A are welcome to attend any of our outings. So, come along and make new friends. We won’t eat you – the menus are usually too good!

needs updating

Allan Gurney

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