Groups & Principles

We meet twice a month and frequently set a challenge. (All mediums except oil as this would be difficult to transport.) We are none of us experts so total beginners are welcome. The art group takes place on the 1st & 3rd Tuesday of the month at 10.30.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

Art Appreciation – we meet once a month and at the end of each meeting set a subject to discuss at the next. Usually each of us researches and comes up with a short talk on what we have found.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

This group meets twice monthly in MCF Church Building, Church Street Martock TA12 6JN at 11am on 2nd & 4th Thursdays. We are a flourishing group of 14 members and are fortunate enough to have an exceptional bridge tutor.  Judy is an incredible player and our group is so lucky that she consistently demonstrates patience, first class tutoring and fun in order to help us progress.. We are a mixed level group, some absolute beginners coupled with others who have been playing a bit longer. This works very well as there is always help on offer especially if Judy, our tutor, is busy at other tables. We welcome new members and all participants are welcomed warmly by us all.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We have a programme for the year of books recommended by members.  We meet in each other’s homes.  We read a wide variety of books, often Sunday Times books of the year, Booker prizewinners, Richard & Judy or BBC2 Between the Covers book club picks, and the occasional classic – books we may not have chosen to read ourselves.  When finishing a book it is great to be able to discuss it with others who have also just finished it.  The best discussions are often those where there are opposing views.  We are hoping to set up a second book group shortly, which could meet at a different time.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The Friday bridge group is held at Mow Barton on Friday mornings from 11am until 1pm. We are a very friendly group of mixed ability – some very experienced and some still learning. At present we have 12 members, which is about right for the size of the room.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We are a cycling group with the emphasis on social cycling. We meet once a month usually on a Tuesday, starting at 10.00am. We agree the dates one month ahead between ourselves, with one person sorting the route. We are out for usually 2-3 hours including a coffee and cake stop. All you need to join us is a bike.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

Dancing in a circle is an ancient tradition common to many cultures; marking special occasions, the seasons and creating a sense of community and wellbeing. The dances come principally from the folk traditions of Eastern Europe; also new dances choreographed to world music of all kinds. Dances can be energetic and lively, or gentle and reflective. Each dance is taught, there is no audience and everyone is welcome. Come on your own or with a friend, no partner needed.   The dance group meets at Ash Village Hall, 2pm to 3.45pm. The cost is £3.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The group of about 10 meets in Over Stratton on the third Tuesday in the month at 2.30pm. We usually have a demonstration followed by individual work. Each time we tackle something different, often tied to the season – Christmas wreaths, Easter baskets and so on. We’ve also tried alternatives to Oasis, buttonholes and wiring. The members are sent an email explaining what they need to bring in the way of container, foliage and flowers.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The French Improvers group takes place on the 2nd, 3rd and 4th Thursday PM.

The group organises visits to local gardens, both those that open regularly and those that are open by arrangement, for charity. We are very fortunate that there are so many lovely gardens in this area, and which warrant visits in more than one season. We have visited East Lambrook to see their snowdrops and hellebores, Forde Abbey, Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens, Barrington, Montacute, Kilver Court, Mapperton, Hestercombe, Bennett’s Water Gardens and many other private gardens. Most visits also involve tea and cake. We had a trip to Westonbirt National Arboretum in October 2024.  Please see the newsletters for more details.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The Lunch Club meets in a restaurant or pub about once a month. Details are emailed to members together with a request for menu choices.  About 12-20 attend each outing from a membership of about 46.  It’s all very friendly.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The MahJong group meets every third Wednesday in the month in Martock for a friendly game. MAHJONG is a derivation of the Chinese word (ma.dzon) meaning sparrow. It is a tile based game developed in China in the 19th Century, commonly played by 4 players. It is a game of skill, strategy and luck. The game is played with a set of 144 tiles based on Chinese Characters and symbols. Each player begins with 13 tiles. In turn players draw and discard tiles until they complete a set hand of which there are many. The clicking of the tiles during shuffling resembles the chattering of sparrows.  No prior knowledge of the game is necessary to join, our group is mostly made up of beginners. We meet on the second Monday of the month.  Tuition given at all meetings. Meetings start at 2.00pm and last about 2 hours followed by tea and biscuits.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

What is mindfulness? Mindfulness involves paying attention to what is going on inside and outside ourselves, moment by moment. It’s easy to stop noticing the world around us. It’s also easy to lose touch with the way our bodies are feeling and to end up living “in our heads” – caught up in our thoughts without stopping to notice how those thoughts are driving our emotions and behaviour. An important part of mindfulness is reconnecting with our bodies and the sensations they experience and an awareness of our thoughts and feelings as they happen moment to moment and how mindfulness helps mental wellbeing.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The Modern Board Game group meets in Martock, on a Tuesday afternoon by arrangement with members in Martock for a friendly game or two. Modern board games normally last 30-45 minutes, rather than lasting hours like Monopoly. The games either end after a set number of rounds or when the cards run out. The games we have played are Carcassonne, Ticket to Ride and Alhambra. They are games of skill, strategy and luck.  No prior knowledge of the games is necessary to join, the basic rules are easy to learn.  Tuition given at all meetings. Meetings start at 2.30pm and last about 2 hours  with  a break for tea and biscuits.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The group meets at a member’s house and runs 2.30 – 4.30pm.

The group meets at 10.00 – 12.00 at a member’s house.  Our aim is to inform ourselves and discuss sometimes controversial topics in the general area of Philosophy, in a tolerant and understanding spirit. We accept disagreement and rarely come to an agreed conclusion on any subject. Our aim is to understand arguments from different viewpoints.  Examples of topics discussed recently:-
Confucius, animal rights, Michael Sandel on Justice, pandemic ethics, loneliness, Owen Jones – Chavs:The Demonization of the Working Class (book), Doughnut Economics (book), ecomodernism, the refugee problem, stoicism, Did Jesus exist?, Ralph Waldo Emerson, self reliance vs cooperation, Rupert Sheldrake, the Gaia Hypothesis.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

Playreaders meets in a member’s home at 2.30 on the 4th Monday afternoon of each month.  We usually act out a short play, generally a comedy, reading from a selection provided by the Performing Arts Library.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We meet at a member’s house 2.30 – 4.30pm.  We listen to about an hour and a quarter of music (CDs) – either a programme prepared and presented by a member or one made up of individual CD tracks chosen by each of the members present, possibly relating in some way to a theme agreed at the preceding meeting.  We are broadminded about members’ choice of music and avoid criticising.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

Our Group meets on the 1st, 3rd and 5th Tuesday afternoon of the month and one of our members kindly hosts our sessions in her home. We enjoy spending around an hour and a half playing four-part pieces – descant, alto, tenor and bass before breaking for refreshment. Laughing, chatting, and catching up with one another’s lives are an important aspect of our sessions and we often take a break between pieces to do just that! Sessions are informal and practice beforehand is entirely optional. There are currently eight of us and we would love to welcome some more members. If you can play a recorder and read music why not join us for a taster session?
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The recorder group is a fun way of getting the benefits of playing music in a friendly group. Most members of the group have not played since school, or have started from scratch and now enjoy playing pop and other tunes. We meet on the 1st and 3rd Tuesday of each month and you are welcome to come along and join in. There is also a senior recorder group for those who are more practiced players.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We meet 10 – 12.00 to hear and discuss new and established concepts in Science and Technology. Usually we have a presentation by a member or an outside speaker, which is then discussed. If the subject matter is appropriate, we link subjects covered in this group with discussion in the Philosophy group.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We are a small, friendly and sociable group who enjoy a game of Scrabble or Upwords, every Monday at 10.00 – 12.30 at a member’s house. You don’t have to be an expert, we are of varying experience and
abilities, dictionaries allowed!  We play Scrabble and Upwords (a fun variation of Scrabble), and it makes a sociable and enjoyable start to the week.  Whether you are a regular player or a complete beginner you would be very welcome to join us.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

The Sewing Group currently meets once a month, on the second Tuesday in the month, 10.0 – 12.0, and is always at a member’s home. Although it is called The Sewing Group, in fact all kinds of projects are brought along, such as knitting, crochet, embroidery and other similar crafts. We discuss each other’s projects, drink tea or coffee, and generally have a really good time. It’s a really supportive and fun group!
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We meet 2.00 – 3.00pm at The George.

The Theatre group visits are about every two months and there is a minimum of four people for the visit.  If the group is more than ten, we can get a discount. Details are emailed to members, who then confirm if they wish to have tickets and pay for them in advance.  Shows are usually at the Octagon, Westlands or the Swan Theatre.  Café seating is arranged for everybody before the show, so there is time for a chat beforehand.  You don’t actually have to eat – maybe just a drink.  These are very sociable and friendly occasions.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

Have you ever wondered if you would like to take up a new craft? This occasional group has fun trying different crafts so we can see what we enjoy. Crafts tried so far include wet felting, crochet and silver clay.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.

We meet 2.0 – 4.30pm at Yandles Hall, United Reform Church, Bower Hinton.

The writer’s’ group was set up several years ago with the stated purpose: ‘To share knowledge and insights into the process of writing to stimulate creativity and to offer mutual constructive feedback and support.’ We meet monthly and often carry out writing exercises or critique each other’s work. We are hoping to get guest speakers in the future and are looking into attending writing festivals.
The group is open to anyone with an interest in writing at any level. You don’t have to have published anything although two of our members have done so.  Advice on how to get into print is therefore available.  We are actively looking to recruit more members so if this is something you’ve always wanted to get more involved in whether it’s that novel you’ve always felt was inside you or just wanting to learn more about the process, why not come along and join in.
If you are interested in joining the group, please contact the Groups Secretary.