Calendar for Year April 2025 -April 2026
- Provincial President’s Sunday : July 2026
Catenians and wives from Circles across Province 8 joined Provincial President Martin Robins and Caroline in Wokingham to celebrate Provincial President’s Sunday. A group of 8 from Maidenhead Circle attended.
Following Mass at Corpus Christi Church in Wokingham. lunch was enjoyed at Sand Martin’s Golf Club.
Following dinner, Provincial President Martin presented the Derrick Gallagher Memorial Trophy to the circle recording the highest net increase in new members. The winning circle this year was his own Circle of Wokingham. Derrick Gallagher was not only a former Provincial President but was a member of Maidenhead Circle.
Provincial President Martin presenting Derrick Gallagher Memorial Trophy to Stefan from Wokingham Circle For more on the Provincial President, see https://www.thamesvalleycatenians.org.uk/about-us/meet-the-president?
- Inaugural Howard McBrien Walk – June 2026
Organised and led by Inga, the Inaugural Howard McBrien Walk took place on a warm sunny day. Starting off from the Dew Drop Inn near Hurley, the walkers (and dog companions) made a circular route via the grounds of the Berkshire College of Agriculture in Burchetts Green, before returning to the Dew Drop Inn for a well deserved lunch where others joined them.
Looking over Hurley 
In the BCA Grounds 
Swinging Return to the Dew Drop Inn - As You Like It — We Did : June 2026
Summer is the time for an outdoor performance of Shakespeare but being England, one never knows what the weather will be like. After several days of heavy rain, including on the performance day, we had to forego the opportunity for an outdoor picnic beforehand. The rain had however stopped before the performance and we were able first to enjoy a pre-show drink under canvas, entertained by The Bards of Arden , who also featured prominently in the performance.
The venue was Hall Barn, Beaconsfield and the play was As You Like It, performed by the Chiltern Shakespeare Company (CSC) and Fourways Theatre Company. It was the 40th anniversary of a Shakespeare production by CSC, with their first also being As You Like It.
Did we like it ? Yes, we did.
- Summer Ladies Night: June 2026
Following the closure of Maidenhead Golf Club in December 2025, Maidenhead Catenians held their Summer Ladies Night at the Tithe Barn at the Old Bell in Hurley.The Tithe Barn is a 16th Century Tudor Barn with original beams and rafters.
Guests were welcomed by President Jacek.
As ever, the raffle proved popular.
- Bournemouth Weekend – Feb 2026
A group of over 20 Catenians, drawn from Harrow and Chiltern, South Bucks and Maidenhead Circles gathered to enjoy a weekend away in Bournemouth.
Unlike the formal Provincial weekends of former years,there was no set itinerary but all did their own thing, be it a visit to Salisbury or Poole, Wimborne or in Bournemouth itself.
David and Pam met up with Paddington in Salisbury.
In the evening after dinner, there was time to catch up on the day’s events.
Thanks to Peter for organising the weekend.
- Skittles Match 2026
In early February, a group of 12 from Maidenhead travelled to Flackwell Heath to play Skittles with friends from South Bucks Circle.Over 30 people played
In the first part of the evening, nine teams each of four people competed.Each person had three bowls per round,seeking to knock down the nine pins at the far end.
In the second part, there was an individual knock out contest , first for all the ladies together and then for the men.Each person took one bowl in turn and on each occasion, they needed to knock down at least one pin.The contest got very tough when eight pins were down and there was only one pin to get. If you missed a pin, you lost a “life” and if one lost all three lifes, one was eliminated from the contest.
Maidenhead players were successful on the night.The team consisting of Eddie, Hilda, John and Pam were the top team and Inga was the top Lady player in the knock-out round..
- Robbie Burns Supper 2026
Maidenhead Catenians celebrated Robbie Burns with a traditional Supper – Cullen skink as starter, haggis with potatoes and winter vegetables main course, followed by raspberry cranachan trifle
At the start of the meal, the Haggis was brought in and Richard Kellaway made the Address to the Haggis, knife in hand.
Speaking after the meal, Alex Temple recalled the life and works of Robert Burns. During this, he recited the opening lines from the poem Tam O’Shanter –
When chapman billies leave the street,
And drouthy neebors, neebors meet,
As market-days are wearing late,
An’ folk begin to tak the gate;
While we sit bousing at the nappy,
And getting fou and unco’ happy,
We think na on the lang Scots miles,
The mosses, waters, slaps and styles,
That lie between us and our hame,
Whare sits our sulky sullen dame,
Gathering her brows like gathering storm,
Nursing her wrath to keep it warm.Those present toasted the memory of Robbie Burns – hoping no-one was waiting, nursing their wrath, to see them later.
- Ladies Night Christmas 2025
With the largest turn-out since Covid, there were 62 people at the Christmas Ladies Night. Although a happy occasion, there was some sadness as this would be the last function held at Maidenhead Golf Club – the site has been sold to developers who will start house building work in the new year.
As is customary, a selection of carols were sung before the dinner , with the singing led by Peter Webb, with Richard Kellaway on clarinet and Peter Lawes on guitar.
As well as guests from South Bucks and Reading Circles, National President Gerry McCormack together with Anna were in attendance.
- 36th Annual Musical Evening 2025
As well as the usual high standard of musical entertainment provided by the musical artistes, this year guests were treated to the surprise dancing by Maidenhead Catenian president Eddie Piekut as he danced with Soprano singer, Ania Jeruc, as she sang.
The artistes were Ania Jeruc (Soprano), Victoria Simmonds (Mezzo Soprano), Cameron Rolls (Tenor), James Atkinson (Baritone) with Janet Haney (Music Director at the piano).
In addition to many local people from the Maidenhead area, people came from South Bucks, Harrow & Wembley, Wokingham , Reading and Windsor Circles. Amongst the guests were Catenian National President Gerry McCormack and his wife,Anna.
- Nefertiti Bust – Fake or Real?
Following the September Clergy & Ladies Night, President Eddie Piekut entertained – or was that educated? – all present as he posed the arguments for and against the Nefertiti Bust being a fake or real.
Nefertiti was a royal wife of the Pharoah, Akhenaten who ruled Egypt in the 14th century B.C. One of her daughters married the future Pharoah, Tutankhamun, Nefertiti’s stepson..
Made of painted limestone, the bust of Nefertiti is believed to date from around 1345 BC. The name Nefertiti means “the beautiful one has arrived ” and the bust is of a very beautiful lady. However whilst black painted quartz forms the iris of the right eye , there is an empty eye socket for the left eye of the bust.
Discovered by a German archaeological team led by Ludwig Borchardt in Egypt in 1912, the bust is now held in the Neues Museum in Berlin.In recent years, it has been claimed that the bust is in fact a modern fake, created by an artist commissioned by Borchardt. One of the arguments for this is that the missing left eye of the bust would have been a sign of disrespect to the Queen in ancient Egypt.
Eddie gave the arguments for and against it being a fake and even produced his own copy of the bust The vote afterwards was mainly in favour of it being genuine.
- Bardo’s Breakfast
Want to find out more about Catenians?
We have an informal breakfast session at Bardo’s in Maidenhead on the second Thursday of the month. If interested, please contact us on admin@maidenheadcatenians.org.uk
- July 2025:Cookham Abbey Dig Visit
Over the last few years, a Reading University archaeology team have been undertaking a dig to uncover Cookham Abbey. This was an eight century Anglo-Saxon monastery and is associated with the Mercian Queen Cynethryth, widow of King Offa (he of Offa’s Dyke fame). A Catenian group of 18 attended the site, guided by the Friends of Cookham Abbey – see https://www.cookhamabbey.org.uk/
- July 2025: Provincial President’s Day
Several Maidenhead members and wives joined the Provincial President and wife, Chris and Jan Hartley, with others from province on Sunday 27th July. Following Mass at the Immaculate Conception, Bicester, lunch was enjoyed at the Littlebury Hotel, Bicester.
