Muddy News

Cork Races - Last Chance to Get Tickets!

The deadline for buying tickets for our Day at Cork Races this Saturday is 9am on Thursday 20th as that is when we must let the venue know final numbers.  If you haven’t bought your ticket yet and fancy joining a group of like-minded 'muddy' people for all the fun, excitement, colour and craic that is a day at the races in Ireland, get online and book your place now*.

Tickets cost £70 (or 80 Euros) and include premium-level admission, your race card, lunch, a private room (with full cash bar, tote facilities and viewing balcony overlooking the track) and a week’s post-event subscription to Muddy Matches.

*Unfortunately, we cannot accept online payments using Irish laser cards.  If you cannot pay online, please email us at events@muddymatches.co.uk or ring us on 0044(0)1933 311500.

For more information and online bookings, please click here.  Hope to see you there!

Gossip from the 2009 CLA Game Fair

We had an amazing three days at the CLA Game Fair this year and were delighted to meet so many of you at the show.

The highlight for us was the Saturday, the show's busiest day.  Despite some dubious weather reports, the sun shone throughout and we had an action-packed day on the stand, with lots of members (past, present and future) coming to say hello and every spare corner of the stand taken up by people for our wine tasting in the afternoon.  Our lunch in the Members Enclosure and the clay shooting session on the Clay Line also went really well.

However, the main event for us was our tongue-in-cheek dating show in the Game Fair Theatre at 4.30pm.  Presented by Apprentice finalist Claire Young, the show saw 10 country-minded contestants vying for the attention of our male and female 'pickers'...as usual there was plenty of cheeky banter!

The pickers were asked to choose one person to accompany them on a date and the two couples were then whisked off for a romantic picnic in Belvoir Castle's stunning rose garden.

One of the nicest things was that, over the three days, we counted more than 30 couples who came up to us to say that they had met each other on the site or at one of our events.  We all work really hard so it makes our day when we get to see people happily matched up.

Charles and Sophie met on the site in October 2008 and came to say hi - we think they make a great couple!

If you are still waiting to meet the right person, you'll be pleased to know that more than 600 people have registered on the site in the last week alone so why not head over to the Newest Members section (under the Search tab) and say hello!

Get your Game Fair tickets!

The CLA Game Fair (24th-26th July) is rapidly approaching and tickets for our social events at the show have been selling fast.

Meeting New People

With thousands of like-minded country people in one place (over 150,000 attended at Blenheim last year) it’s an amazing opportunity to get to know some new people who share your interest in the countryside…but we all know that sometimes it isn’t that easy! You might regularly go to the Game Fair with friends but find that more and more of them are in couples and you rarely get to meet anyone new; you may be finding it hard to get your friends to commit to going this year but not want to go on your own; or you may have never been before and are slightly hesitant as you don’t know what to expect. Don’t worry - this is where we come in...

‘Muddy’ Social Events at the Game Fair

We’ve got an action-packed couple of days lined up and plan to make our stand a social hub for all like-minded muddies to meet new people and experience the Game Fair together. If you did decide to come on your own, or to try the Game Fair for the first time, there will be no shortage of fun things to do or people to do them with. Here’s what we’ve got going on:

Lunch - join a gang of like-minded country people for a delicious buffet in the CLA Members’ Enclosure. Friday, Saturday and Sunday – tickets available on our events page.

Wine tasting - come to our stand to taste a number of Jakob Gerhardt Fine Wines and mingle with a group of like-minded muddies. Friday, Saturday and Sunday – tickets available on our events page.

Clay Shooting - join a group of muddy people to hit some clays in the Members’ Area on the Clay Line. All equipment provided and no experience necessary. Friday, Saturday and Sunday – tickets available on our events page.

4x4 Course - join our group for this exciting opportunity to experience 4x4 driving over rough terrain. Qualified instructors on hand to ensure that everyone has a go and enjoys this fun off-road experience. Friday only – tickets available on our events page.

Displays And Demonstrations - experience other aspects of the Game Fair with like-minded people. We’ll be arranging for people to meet at our stand to go and watch various displays and demonstrations together. Visit our stand in the morning to see our timetable. Friday, Saturday and Sunday - free.

Our Stand - come and have a natter and a glass of delicious Belvoir Cordial on our stand – we’ve got straw bales to perch on and fun garden games to keep you amused…who knows who you might get chatting to? Friday, Saturday and Sunday – free.

For more information about any of these social events, please click here or get in touch with us on 01933 311500.

We hope to see you there!

Additional Sailing Events

Incredibly, our May Bank Holiday Sailing Trip sold out in less than 24 hours and many people were left disappointed.  We are, therefore, delighted to announce two new summer sailing dates so we can get a few more of you out on the water:

• Long Weekend Sailing Trip (Thurs 4th - Sun 7th June 2009) - click here for more information.

• Bank Holiday Sailing Trip (Fri 28th - Mon 31st August 2009) - click here for more information.

 General information

For both events, you will meet Stuart, our professional skipper, at the Ocean Village marina in Southampton before heading off for three days' sailing in the Solent. Depending on the weather and what the group wishes to do, you may also do a Channel crossing.

The yacht will be sailed by Stu and his ‘mate’, but you will be encouraged to take part in all aspects of sailing including helming, winching and tacking. Or, if preferred, you can just sit back and enjoy the ride.

All your food and some alcoholic drinks will be provided on board but there will be a number of opportunities to go ashore for a few drinks after a good day's sailing.

 Who can come?

Anyone. You do not need any sailing experience to come along as you will be given the necessary training over the weekend and Stu our qualified skipper and his ‘mate’ will be on hand to make sure that everyone sails safely and has fun.

Tickets

The cost of the each long weekend is £425, which includes:

- Three nights' accommodation (shared cabin)
- All food on board, plus soft drinks and a limited amount of alcohol
- Professional skipper
- Sail training
- Lifejackets, oil skins and all safety equipment

For more information and tickets, please click here.

Upcoming Pub Grub Nights in Derbyshire and Surrey

April's Pub Grub Nights are being held at the following venues:

• Friday 17th April - The Bear Inn, Alderwasley, Belper, Derbyshire - click here for more information.

• Friday 24th April - The Queens Head, The Street, East Clandon, Surrey - click here for more information. 

TICKETS ARE SELLING FAST SO DON'T LEAVE IT TOO LATE TOO BOOK, OR YOU'LL MISS OUT!

Muddy Matches Countryside Calendar

Lucy has been hard at work updating the Muddy Matches Country Events Calendar, listing lots of country shows, game fairs, farming events, social occasions and sporting events across the UK and Ireland.  Click here to take a look. 

If you think that there is something important missing, get in touch with her by clicking here but - please - no village fetes or garden open days!

See Photos from the Mud Lovers Ball!

The photos from the 2009 Mud Lovers Ball 2009 are up online and available for purchase!  To take a look, please visit www.BeesKneesPhotography.co.uk and select 'Customer Login' where you will see the Muddy Matches gallery.  Alternatively, you can click here for a slide show.  Any money we make from the sale of photos will go directly to farming charity the RABI.

More and more of you have been sending your feedback about the night and we are delighted that so many of you had such a good time.  We are also quite excited by the number of people going out on dates as a result of the evening - good on you all! 

Thanks to the band, who were amazing and kept the floor packed from the moment they started to the very end of the night.

A big thank you also to Ian and Sandra for running 'Strictly Muddy' during the band break and showing us all some new moves...they were also responsible, we think, for a number of new partnerships on the dance floor!

Thanks also to all of the welly companies that helped us with our table decorations – well you can’t have a Mud Lovers ball without wellies can you?!

Aigle - www.aigle.com/uk
Ariat - www.ariat-europe.co.uk
Barbour - www.barbour.com
Brasher - www.brasher.co.uk
Dickies - www.dickiesworkwear.com
Dubarry - www.dubarryboots.com
Dunlop - www.dunlopboots.com
Evercreatures - www.funky-wellington-boots.co.uk
Fred's - www.fredsclothing.co.uk
Gelert - www.gelert.com
Girlie Gardening - www.girliegardening.com
Hoggs - www.hoggs.co.uk
Hunter - www.hunterboots.com
Jileon - www.jileon.com
Joules - www.joulesclothing.com
LeChameau - www.lechameau.co.uk
MuckBoot - www.muckbootco.co.uk
Muddies - www.muddieboots.com
Toggi - www.toggi.com

Some of your feedback from the night:

"What a fantastic Ball.  A huge success – well done.  Sincerely hope there will be others.  What struck me was the buzz in the hangar, and the fact that the dance floor was full as soon as the superb band struck up.  You would not have thought it was a room full of strangers – everyone got on so well!  Great venue, amazing band, good food and brilliant atmosphere.  Not bad for your first Ball.  And, I met someone – seeing him later this week and we wouldn’t have met on the site as we are just a bit off the map, but having met it seems its worth the effort!"

"Katherine, Tricia and I just wanted to say THANKS for a fab weekend - it lived up to.....no, exceeded our expectations!!! Cannot tell you how much we all enjoyed it from start to finish and talking to others there I think that was the view shared by most. Can't wait till the next one!!"

"I just wanted to email and say what a fab time my friends and I had this weekend. We had so much fun and met lots new and interesting people!!  The shoot was a great idea (even though I didn't hit a thing) to break the ice before the ball and the band were fantastic.  Think it's safe to say it was a complete succes and I know my friends and I are looking forward to the next event!"

"Just a quick note to say a big thank you for a wounderful day and an even better night. Alot of fun was had on the toggi table and cant wait for the next one."

"Just wanted to say that the Ball on Saturday night was a brilliant event. My friend Joanna and I enjoyed it so much!  So Congratulations for organising such a successful event.  Hope you enjoyed yourselves too. Could you please keep us informed of any other evening events that you organise."

"I would just like to thank you both for putting on such a good show last night at Sywell. I thought you did an exhaling job. i really enjoyed my self."

"I would just like to thank you two ladies for an excellent weekend that you organised.  I know there is a lot of work in organising such an event but you did it brilliantly and it is very much appreciated we had so much fun!"

"Thank you for a fantastic evening on Saturday nite,good food,good music,far too much too drink,and even more important good company!"

"Dear Muddy matches team - just wanted to thank you all for putting on a fun and interesting party last night,it was great to meet so many diefferent people from all walks of life!"

West Yorkshire Pub Grub Night - SOLD OUT!

• Our West Yorkshire Pub Grub Night on Saturday 21st March is now sold out.

Future Pub Grub Nights

We aim to host Pub Grub Nights all accross the UK and Ireland and are in the process of organising many more - watch this space for more details.  However, we almost always choose a venue based on recommendations from our members so, if you want us to come and host one in your area, the quickest way to get us there is to suggest some good pubs.  The things we look for are:

•         Good country pubs – think roaring fires and real ale, rather than trendy wine bar/gastro pub
•         Reasonably priced food – good quality, heart-warming food with decent portion sizes that doesn’t cost the earth
•         Seating – we would need to seat at least 25/30 people in one room
•         Location – it needs to be relatively well connected by road (and ideally rail as well)
•         Accommodation – if there’s a pub B&B that’s perfect, otherwise there need to be some hotels/B&Bs in the local area for those who wish to stay the night

If you have any suggestions, we’d be really grateful if you’d drop us a line with a link to their website, or any contact details you have.

MUD LOVERS BALL - SOLD OUT!

There are now no more tickets available for the Mud Lovers Ball. 

We look forward to seeing everyone who booked on Saturday and will be posting photos online after the event!

Valentines Pub Grub Night - SOLD OUT!

Valentines Pub Grub Night: come and enjoy a fun evening out this Valentines Day and grab a bite to eat with a group of like-minded, muddy people in the lovely (and aptly named) Golden Heart Inn near Birdlip, Gloucestershire.

A wonderfully informal way to get to know more people in your area who share your interests, pity those poor couples who will only have each other to talk to when you can come and join in the fun with us and meet lots of new people!

Venue

The Golden Heart Inn
Birdlip
Gloucester
Gloucestershire
GL4 8LA

Tickets

Tickets cost £35 and include a delicious three-course meal* and a week's post-event subscription to Muddy Matches. *Drinks NOT included.  Click here for more information.

Feedback from a previous Muddy Matches Pub Grub Night

"Having recently attended the Devon Pub Grub night i would just like to say what a super night i had despite being very apprehensive about it. Every detail was taken care of from the greeting at the door, until the farewell at the end. Its a wonderful idea and you actually have time to speak to people whilst enjoying a super supper, wine and company. I would absolutely recommend it to any members and if your unsure about going your letting a fantastic opportunity and great chance to make new acquaintances slip through your fingers." Andrew, Dorset