Hoole Community Centre

Even though I live In Hoole, believe it or not, today was my first visit to our local Hoole Community Centre. Consider myself told off. And rightly so. Mind you, sometimes I think many of us, myself included, quite often don’t see events or organisations that are right under our noses.

A case in point. Last weekend I got talking to a couple who were visiting Chester for the very first time. And, no big surprise, they loved Chester. One thing they did say was something we locals may not automatically see, or be aware of. They said that as Chester was such a beautiful city, there was no need for us to consider visiting anywhere else. Now obviously people visit other places for a variety of reasons. So, wherever you live in the country, a trip away now and then may well just be what the doctor ordered.

Having said that though, there are so many people that live in Chester that say they’ve never been to Chester Zoo (whaaaaatt…..do such people really exist!!) for example or that they “haven’t been for donkeys years.” They may go for weekends away regularly but when asked about places like Chester Zoo for instance, they say something like, “oh yeah, I forgot about the Zoo.” It’s not as if they have anything against those places right under their noses, but it’s more a case of they don’t even enter the thought process as people automatically think about doing something different and travelling to do it.

Anyway, I’ve started off on a bit of a tangent, so let’s get back on topic. Hoole Community Centre. It’s right under my nose and, as I say, today was my first visit. Was I impressed? Grab yourself a brew and carry on reading.

Hoole Community Centre

A bit of background as to why I popped along today. An elderly neighbour of mine I visit for a coffee and a chat now and then was feeling a bit out of sorts a couple of weeks ago. Not much going on for him locally (or so he thought) and he was feeling a bit bored.

“Leave it with me” I suggested and I’ll have a look around. Very quickly I was on to Hoole Community Centre via my Chester Lifestyle Twitter account to ask about events and such like. One straight away seemed suitable for my octogenarian friend, the Wednesday “Over 55 Club.”

When I reported back to let him know what it was about, a much wanted trip out was on the cards. But there was a problem for him to go on his own. He’s deaf in one ear and partially deaf in the other, so crowds of people in a room is a bit daunting for him. So even though he fancied going, he didn’t feel up to it as he may have felt a bit overwhelmed by it all.

“Would you go if I went with you?” I asked him. This option changed the goalposts for my friend, so there we were then. Primed to pop along to our local Hoole Community Centre for the first time. Like me, my neighbour hadn’t considered an option right under his own nose before either.

Hoole Community Centre – Over 55’s Club

This particular event, as the name suggests, is for people over 55. It starts at 10am every Wednesday and runs until about 12:30pm. It costs £3.50 each to attend and included in that nominal charge is a two course lunch. For those a bit wobbly on their feet, transport can be arranged as well. How cool is that?

One of my favourite pastimes (if you can call it a pastime) is meeting people and getting to know people. So, even though I was heading off primarily to look after my neighbour and introduce him to some (hopefully) new friends, I was going to get the chance myself to meet a whole new crowd of people. And, not only that, I get fed!!! A result in more ways than one!!

And didn’t we get to meet some interesting characters. The acid test and the most important point all said and done was that my friend enjoyed himself. And felt comfortable. As we left, he commented positively on both points. So much so that one of the first things he said to me when outside was that he really liked it, the people were friendly and that he would like to go again. All that is great news really.

I understand that being so hard of hearing is difficult at the best of times, but even more of a hindrance when in a crowded room full of people making a variety of direct and background noises. But fair do’s to my pal, once he got over the initial newness of it all, he was up and about and doing a bit of mingling on his own. Not too much but he felt comfortable enough to get up and engage with people now and then. That was good to see.

Thanks To The Organisers And The Regulars

Yes, a big thanks to the organisers and the regulars. There were quite a few regulars that went out of their way to welcome my pal. That meant a lot to him. So, many thanks for that. And the organisers were extremely helpful and supportive. All good in fact as far as a first visit goes.

A great ice breaker for my neighbour were some, “it’s a small world moments.” As it happens a couple of the regulars used to live in two houses he used to live in. It was great to see them exchange notes on the dwellings when they each lived there in different eras. As I say, it’s a small world. And it helped my friend engage with others on a one-to-one basis.

Although the event is held in the Hoole Community Centre there were attendees from further afield. I spoke to people from Vicars Cross and Handbridge for instance. And each and every one I spoke to also spoke very highly of the event, the organisers and the venue.

So, looking beyond Wednesday’s “Over 55 Club,” what else goes on at the Hoole Community Centre? Well, the short answer to that is, too much to write about in this post. Which, can only mean one thing. Well two things actually. Firstly, for the local community and beyond, that’s great news. And secondly, that means that there will be more posts to follow. Watch this space as they say.

Hoole Community Centre Over 55’s Club – My One Criticism…..ish!!!

I like to think that I always write honest posts when I do add something to my Chester Lifestyle website. And this post is no exception. Yes, there was so much to admire about my first trip to Hoole Community Centre and attending the “Over 55’s Club,” but one worrying aspect niggled me.

How did I get in? None of the organisers challenged me with a “Oy, you’re never over 55. Show us some ID.” I was gutted and, having said that, a reality check also washed over me. But, hey ho, that’s only a small issue.

Mind you, it also only goes to confirm the old adage, you’re as young (or as old) as you feel in your head. And fair do’s, there were plenty of young ‘uns in attendance today. Also, it confirms something else in my case. I’ll have to take more care and look into the mirrors in our house more often!!

Joking apart though, it was an event where newbies were very much welcomed and the time flew by. Which is also a good sign. I estimated there were probably in the region of about 35 to 40 in attendance. The room was spacious and everyone was comfortably seated and looked after very well.

So, keep an eye out for events at Hoole Community Centre. There’s plenty going on for all ages. You can see a bit more about the venue by having a look HERE. But I would suggest that the best way to get a better and fuller picture is to pop along yourself. And if you live in Hoole, what a great way to support your own local community by visiting the popular venue right on your own doorstep.

Thanks for today folks from me, but more importantly, a big thanks on behalf of my neighbour friend. He enjoyed himself and that means a lot. See you again soon.

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