Spice Yorkshire

To Be Sure, To Be Sure

2012-03-03T04:37:00.000-08:00

We've been getting all leprechauny (is that word?!) in the office in preparation for our next murder mystery nights & our St Pats parties in Leeds & Sheffield. Lisa has been having great fun finding pictures of leprechauns for around the room (& I must say one cartoon does look remarkably like our Leeds Coordinator Rob Wilson!) & I've been working with the guy who did our sexy cupid video & he's now done us a couple of fab Leprechaun ones too. Check them out below.

I never envisaged when I took on the role of coordinator part of my job would be writing a script for a leprechaun!!

We've also started using the events feature on facebook for our big events - we're gradually adding all our Yorkshire barn & camping weekends one a week so you can chat & link up on there. This week we added one for The Great North Ball & it's great to see so many comments on there.

Hopefully your new newsletters should have arrived by now packed with some amazing new events including a fabulous new Camping weekend along the scouting theme; Spice Jamboree.

I'm busy curently working on the new format of newsletter that we announced in coordinators corner so I have a very rough draft to present tonight at our taking Spice into the Future event.

We have a groupon deal going live on Tuesday in Sheffield in a new initiative to recruit even more new members offering folks a murder mystery night & 3 months membership package.

Staff news: Jonathan has been away skiing on the Spice Beginners ski trip this week so I'm hoping he returns in one piece! Lisa is hopefully picking up the keys for her very first house this week so is very excited about that. It'll be nearer to the Spice office too so a bonus!

We introduce Shirley Bennett as a regional coordinator for Hull & East Yorkshire soon - we're hoping for the first events to be in May with a preview night over there & if we can arrange it a fabulous meal Dining at the Deep along with lots of other fun things Shirley has planned.

Well all that remains is for me to say...

Top of The Day to You!

(Sandra Irish jigs off round her desk!!!)

Get Your Flat Caps at the Ready!!!!!!!!!!

2012-02-23T10:00:00.000-08:00

Yes the national dragonboat race date has been announced today as 12th August. We came a very close runnerup last year but am sure this year we will be victorious!!!!!!!!!!
Also whilst on the subject of future dates our next Center Parcs which will be 22-25 June will be released at noon on 9th March & really looking into the future (via my own personal hoverboard!) we have the Leeds Xmas party all booked for Sat 22nd Dec at The Met & the New years Ball will be on Sat 26th Jan at The Queens - now don't say I didn't give you enough notice lol!!!

We have had a few role changes amongst our coordinators at the start of 2012. Rosy Sheffield U40 coordinator will be moving over to Manchester so Lisa from the office will be taking over from May (& she's already booked her first event today watch this space!). We introduce Natasha Canfer as not only our new Leeds U40 coordinator (check out our relaunch party) but she's also taking on the role of Bradford coordinator too. Jane Habershon is relinquishing her role as Rotherham & Doncaster coordinator & Carol Pearce is stepping in her shoes. And finally Shirley Bennett will take up a new position of East Yorkshire coordinator. Phew! Jonathan & I are not going aywhere lol!!!

It hs been incredibly busy in the Spice office with all the staff working really hard. Poor Jonathan didn't finish editing the newsletter till 2am last night! Mind you he's off for a rest on the beginners ski trip next week. oh yes & skiing - we have announced 2013 trip to St Christoph in Austria - how ahead are we????????
The newsletter is currently at the printers & shoudl be with you on 1st of the month. It really is a cracking edition jam packed with loads of different & fun events including loads of new ones. Lisa will be sending out her What's Hot email tomorrow highligting some of the brand new events we have in store for you. But plesae check out the website a we have added lots of new events in the last week or so.

You may have noticed on our home page but we now have a national webinar running several times a week by myself & Dave so if you have any friends thinking of joining Spice please point them in that direction. They can also watch a prerecorded one at any time to suit them.

Well must dash or I'll miss my train I'm typing this at the station. I'm off to London with some of the other coordinators on a membership excellence course.

Ta ra!!!!

Riding the crest of the wave!

2012-01-26T06:21:00.000-08:00

For this week blog I've recorded a little video with all the latest Spice news. Check it out here: Spice Video Blog

We do try & ride the crest of the social media wave here at Spice & embrace all the different forms of communication. It'd be doing us a really big favour if you like & comment & subscribe & follow us on the forms of media you prefer. All these actions help push Spice up search engine rankings so more folks get to hear about us which means more events & more friends to have fun with.

So here's a list if where we are:
Spice Blog (oh you know that one you're here!) - please subscribe
Spice Facebook - please become a fan & like & comment on our posts
Spice Twitter - please follow & retweet us
Spice google+ - I'm still trying to get to grips with that one! - please join my circle & help me!
Spice YouTube - please subscribe & comment
Our Youtube channel is particularly important as video media is set to account for a massive percentage soon of searches & news
Spice LinkedIn - please connect with us

Thank you in advance for your help & of course you can see us all in the flesh (ooh er!!) out & about on the event.

I'm away skiing next week so there will be no blog. Jonathan & Lisa will be beavering away keeping everything running smoothly in my absence. Have fun guys!

Still chasing our tails (tee hee what a naughty tail!)....

2012-01-20T07:00:00.000-08:00

It's still really busy in the office.. which is fab!

Over 50 new members already this month & we still have Leeds Prospective members night to come plus we have stand in Sheffield Deacthlon this weekend & a stand at the Working Womens Expo next week - spreading the word about Spice.

The week started an a real high after our super volunteer coordinators training session. Over 20 there & I feel very grateful to have such a wonderful team of coordinators supporting me.

We have quite a few new faces amongst our coordinator splus I'm pleased to annouce Natasha Canfer as our new regional coordinator for Bradford & leeds U40. You can see who's who on our Meet The Team Page.

We've had lots of folks out shuffling this month in both Leeds & Sheffield & the Leeds night was extra merry as we got 1 bottle of wine per person instead of half!! The big event of the week is yet to come as we have over 80 on our fabulous New Years Ball on Saturday.

Bookings have been busy with the following events full now: Kirkby Stephen weekend, curling, Churn Milk Jaunt, Walk round Emley, Bradfield Revisited, Leeds Wine tasting, Finding fault in Craven & Indoor skydiving.
Plus the following events are virtually full: Poker, U40 Bella Italia, Ghost walk, Cadmans Dance weekend, Iron man karting, Zumba Weekend, Micklefield Up & under, Murder Mystery nights, Spice dines Cantonese, Nordic walking, February bargain Break & Hathersage YHA weekend.
New events recently added: Rhubarb tour, lots of rambles, another murder mystrey, golf, pitch n putt, military bootcamp, wet spot burlesque
Events in the pipeline: Grand National pub afternoons, Zombie film festival, boogie bounce, Leeds bar tour &indoor surfing & beach party.. to name a few!

Our Yorkshire ski trip leaves next weekend with 28 of us bound for Sestriere so I leave you with a photo of me in fancy dress on the last ski trip when panthers tail misbehaved!!!

Our feet haven't touched the ground!

2012-01-10T06:59:00.000-08:00

2012 has got off to an absolutely amazing start with some brilliant events & more new members than you can shake a stick at!!!

We'd normally expect about 50 new members in January we've had well over 20 already & thats' not counting all the ex members who have rejoined in January- - we have 20 folks registered tonight on our webinar & we still have both Prospective members nights in Leeds & Sheffield to come (where we normally get our biggest influx of new members) so I think it's going to be a bumper month.

We had some amazing events on the first weekend of 2012 with folks whizzing round a field in hovercrafts as well as performing somersaults on bumpazorbs.

Still to look forward to in January we have our New Years Ball - please note we are closing bookings for this Thursday evening - over 80 already booked plus also selling fast Spice Goes to the Dogs, both quiz nights (& yay real ale is now on at Cavells especially for Spice) , Comedy Club, dinner shuffles, Cadmans dance weekend & the 50K winter warmer bike ride. I'm expecting all these to sell out any day soon.

I know January is that horrible Xmas credit card bill landing month (My credit card has been put on the naughty step after December too!) but on it's way to you is the first of our What's Hot emails from Lisa this time focussing on cheap & cheerful events with a whole range of fun events at all less than a tenner. So watch out for that landing in your inbox any day soon!

We are already planning forward & Jonathan has been adding some new walks & Jane's Rotherham & Doncaster events plus Rob's Leeds events. I seem to have time travelled as I'm now working on next Xmas. Having just edited all the videos from the Xmas break I thought it was time to book the Xmas 2012 break as this year we return to the wonderful Fort Belan in Wales.

Other projects for me are we have just finalised the agenda for our VC training & motivational day as we introduce quite a few new coordinators to Spice across the coming weeks. I'm also working on a couple of Spice promotional days - we're hoping to get a stand in Decathlon promoting Spice & winter sports in the next week or two. We also have a meeting on Thursday in Birmingham to check on progresss with our forthcoming national database.

I've been lucky enough to be picked to coordinate the Lake Garda trip in April if anyone fancies joining me & we also have 1 slot available on our Yorks ski trip departing 28 Jan to Sestriere if anyone fancies that - the snow reports are amazing this year.

I hope to see folks out on the events. I'm in Leeds on the quiz & dinner shuffle in the next week & Sheffield on the Diceman bar crawl & dinner shuffle & new members night so catch you around having fun folks.

We've gone hydraulic!!!

2012-01-05T07:21:00.000-08:00

HAPPY NEW YEAR EVERYONE!!!!!!!!!!

Well we've hit the New Year running - hope you have too - time to burn off all that Xmas pud, chocs & alcohol!

Bookings have been flooding in at the office (flood almost being the operative word - nice weather recently isn't it??!!) This weather has had me lying in bed pondering whether a hovercraft can actually take off in really gale force weather? Hmm time to check all Ok for our fully booked hovercrafting event this weekend me thinks!!

Anywhere were was I? - oh yes bookings - Lots of events nearly full - New Year ball, Kirkby Stephen Valentines weekend, City Cafe Dinner shuffle, loads booked on both quizzes, poker doing well, bumpazorbing full (this is gonna be hilarious!), observatory visit full but overflow date booked, quite a few walks are full or virtually full, curling & nordic walking nearly full & just 1 slot left on our ski trip.

We've added a few new weekends onto the programme in the last day or two including a few literary ones, the sailing ones & a fab Zumba one at Blackpool. Also Rob our new Leeds coordinator has been really busy over the Xmas break finding lots of new events - we're just finalising a lot of these so watch this space as they'll be appearing shortly.

Also thank you to all those who have taken us up on our eco email & opted out of the newsletter - kind to trees & lots of you have donated your fiver to charity what a nice bunch Spicers are :-) That email was the first of what we hope will be fairly regular communications from us via email. We're trying to get with the times & as well as facebooking, tweeting & blogging keep you up to date via regular targetted email communications. We'll be sending you soon "What's Hot" emails with latest news, events that are selling or being closed soon so need booking quickish & of course what we get asked most the what new events we've added. You will also be given the option of opting into certain targetted email eg walks & sports, or food & drink, weekends etc... & of course if you'd rather be left alone you can opt out of any or all of them! It's one of Lisa's big new projects

I've got a busy start to the year with every night out this week & managing to pack in 3 events in one day on Saturday! I'm taking Sunday off!! We're also stepping up recruitment with our New Year campaign to recruit more & more Spice members off to a great start. We have done a few email mailshots so are expecting our Prospective members nights in Leeds & Sheffield to be busy this month. Plus we are doing an online webinar presentation on 10th Jan for those that can't make it to one of those. So if you have any friends thinking of joining Spice just please feel free to nudge them in the direction of one of those 3 options & we'd be ever so grateful.

And finally to the big news - the reson for the title of this blog - we have a new toilet seat in the office & it's a hydraulic one!!!!!!!! I never knew you could get hydraulic ones till now. It's well posh! And on that note I'll leave you to ponder the wonders of hydraulic toilet seats as your thought for the day!!

Wishing you all a very Happy Xmas

2011-12-21T07:12:00.000-08:00

Well I'm on my last day in the office - it's all been a bit frantic here (I always curse the fact my VAT return is also due in December too!!) trying to get all the last minute jobs done before I head off up to the wonderful Coppermines cottages in the lakes with 28 Spicers. It's my last event tonight before Xmas as I join 19 others at the Carols & Festive Fayre event tonight. Jonathan & Lisa will still be manning the office over the next 2 days & then we switch onto our Xmas opening hours below:

Friday 23rd December - 10am - 5pm
Christmas Eve - CLOSED
Christmas Day - CLOSED
Boxing Day - CLOSED

Tuesday 27th December - Bank Holiday - CLOSED
Wednesday 28th December - 11am - 3pm
Thursday 29th December - 11am - 3pm
Friday 30th December - 11am - 3pm
New Years Eve - CLOSED
New Years Day - CLOSED
Monday 2nd January - Bank Holiday - CLOSED

From Tuesday 3rd January - 10am - 5pm
Normal Office Hours Resume:
Monday - Friday
10am - 5pm

Our website will still be available for bookings whilst the office is closed.

So I'll wish you all a wonderful Xmas & raise a glass of mulled wine to everyone.

Suffering with PNT!!!

2011-12-16T05:28:00.000-08:00

Yes as is common amongst Spice coordinators we've been suffering with PNT - Pre Newsletter Tension this week! I'm just emerging from it as Jonathan is locked away doing the big final edit! Hopefully we'll all be finished soon so we can enjoy our little staff Xmas do tonight!

Loads of goodies in there - indoor caving, street surfing, toddles & tootles (see facebook for explanation!!), crystal maze, circus skills, some new workshops - one on Feel The Fear & one on maintaining relationships, outdoor skating, pie & pint nights, diceman bar crawls, new restaurants for our curry clubs, bell boating, mini photo safari & much much more............

We have just had to hand back spare rooms that we had booked for The New Years Ball at The Met so are on a request only basis now so please book early if you want to stay over & we'll try & get some back - sold loads of tickets for the night already.

We had a great time on the Xmas quizzes earlier this week - the room we managed to secure last minute for the Leeds one didn't quite fit our needs so we'll be at The Adelphi as a trial next month but at least we saved the Xmas quiz from being cancelled.

We have a spare male place on our wonderful Xmas Coppermines Break if anyone fancies joining us at short notice.

Well it's all starting to feel Xmassy here especially with our first sighting of snow at the Spice office. We'll be open through to 23rd December as normal & then go on our Xmas opening hours but online bookings will be available 24/7 for any last minute bookings you want to make & of course for all the new events you'll be wanting to book when the new newsletter arrives.

Right off to pay some bills & sort out the Spice VAT return before getting glammed up for tonight and I look forward to seeing a gang of you at the Sheffield Xmas party tomorrow too.

Apres Fancy Dress!!!!

2011-12-13T04:24:00.000-08:00

Gosh I seem to have come back from holiday into full scale Christmas - how did it get here so quickly?? Incidentally I burst out laughing on the plane on way home from my holiday when I read an article in a magazine saying folks have the best sex after a fancy dress party!!!!!!!!!!!!!! Apparently the dressing up puts people in a more open & adventurous mood.

It looks like there's been some fab party times with lots of great photos from Center Parcs & tales from within naughty Santa's grotto at the Leeds Party. For those that missed him he was our very own Mr Steve Sutcliffe. I've not seen any photos yet - has anyone got some for the Spice Yorkshire family album!! The Sheffield party is this next weekend - still a few slots left but we will be closing bookings tomorrow evening. We also have a contingent invading the Spice West Mids party & having fun down there too.

I'm looking forward to our Xmas quizzes tomorrow night - we have nearly 90 people booked across the 2 of them - 10 more & we hit the big 100 - can we do it??

Then Friday is our staff party - when we get chance to let our hair down & celebrate another year of fun & frolics working in the Spice office!!

The office is incredibly busy this week as we are trying to write the Jan/Feb newlsetter - we have to go to print early due to printers closing for Xmas so if Jonathan is looking a bit pale & tired it's all in a good cause. Keep watching online as we are adding lots of new events daily at the moment

We are also working on finalising requirements for the Yorkshire ski trip - just 1 slot left & I've heard the snow is already fab this year & final details for our Xmas breaks should be making their way to you in the next couple of days. Can't wait to be sitting in front of that log fire with a glass of mulled wine & the fantastic company of lovely Spicers for Xmas.

Last night I ran my first solo webinar so welcome to those new members who joined - everyone did who attended so despite being a bit nervous about it think it went really well. We hope to introduce these regularly into the programme for folks who can't make it down to one of our Prospective Members Evenings.

Well I'm off now to type up the writeup for The Great North Ball - very excited about this event - roll on 28th April!

I'll leave you with our Spice Yorkshire Xmas card - hope you enjoy it!

Happy Xmas folks!

All Things Bright & Beautiful

2011-12-01T06:27:00.000-08:00

Well our big Xmas weekend is nearly here - as I keep seeing on facebook - 1 SLEEP TO GO!!!!!! I hope you all have a fabulous time looking all bright & beautiful & that there are not too many sore heads over the weekend.

Naughty Santa is practising his lines for his visit to our Leeds Xmas party in a weeks time & all the proceeds of his grotto visit will be being donated to Breakthrough Cancer.

We had a fabulous murder mystery night in Leeds this week - but we can't tell you who did it - until we've run the Sheffield one!! There were some excellent ambassadors with great accents on the night especially our ambassador from China!

A very IMPORTANT date for your diary is 28th April 2012 when we will be running The Spice Great North Ball in the most spectacular of settings at the National Railway Museum as we dine & party between the historic railway carriages.

On 12th December we will be running a Prospective Members webinar so if you know anyone thinking of joining Spice why not get them to login for an hour from thecomfort of their own homes to hear about all the fun we have.

I recently asked if anyone would like to add into our bank of volunteer coordinators so thanks for those of you who have already volunteerd & if anyone else wants to join us send me an email & I'll send you out an assessment form

Well I'm offf away on a little holiday now so the blog will be quiet for aweek - so have fun everyone & catch you when I'm back... Ta Ra!!!

3 sleeps to go .....

2011-11-29T07:02:00.000-08:00

I don't know about everyone else but I always feel the Christmas Center Parcs weekend is the sign that Xmas is on it's way. We have an even bigger group than ever going this year so I know it's going to be mega. You will be in Jonathan & Lisa's capable hands this year as I shall be on holiday but rest assured I'll be glued to facebook from my sunlounger looking at all the photos!!

Well whats' been happening since I last posted. I've been working on a very big very special spectacular event which will be happening in York early summer that you'll not want to miss - details being released soon... Plus in Feb we'll be running a new members weekend for thr first time ever to help our newer friends integrate into Spice. Watch out for it ... Break The Ice with Spice. Plus I have been working on a training programme for our hardworking volunteer coordinators which will be happening early January.

News on the coordinator front I am pleased to announce that Rob Wilson has just accepted the new postion of Leeds regional coordinator. I know you'll all make him welcome on the events - he has some fab ideas for Spice in Leeds going forwards.

On the events front we have added some new events - lots of rambles, a Caribbean meal in Sheffield, archery games, curry clubs & some new biking weekdns (one involving beer!). Bookings have been really healthy & full events include the alpaca trek. Leeds Xmas party (Sheffield one getting fullish too), some of the Center Parcs sports & the Leeds Santa Shuffle. We have fantastic numbers on tonights murder mystery night & the quizzes - both great cheap nights out with lots of fun & chance to make new friends.

Well I can't stay around typing blogs all day - time to dash - I have a murder to solve Mrs Christmas has been killed!!!!

With a kick & a flick.....

2011-11-23T06:10:00.000-08:00

I bring you my next Spice blog instalment fresh from my Tango lesson last night. We were supposed to look sultry & sexy but think I just managed the confused & one step behind the dance instructor look instead!!! Great fun though & we hope to have more dance classes at this venue soon.

Talking of dancing (we know Spicers like to shake their stuff!) we're just in the process of organising 2 parties with that aim in mind; a Valentines one at The Showroom in Sheffield & a St Patricks one at Chilli Whites in Leeds.

I'm also off up to York to look at a rather special venue for a rather special new ball that we'll be offering in 2012 - watch Spice Uk TV news for the annoucement (oh I'm such a tease!!)

Since my first attempts at a blog a couple of days ago managed to get it looking good on mobile (well I like it on my iphone) next step is being able to update it from my phone - a blog on the move!!

Other new projects we're looking at is playing with setting up QR codes for Spice - they're those funny little black & white chequered boxes starting to appear everywhere that you scan with your phone & I've had a meeting with a management & leadership consultant about running a training & motivational day for our volunteer coordinators in January so I'm really excited about that.

And finally we're revving up for our Xmas trip away to Center Parcs - joining emails should be coming out shortly & the sports went live yesterday for booking. Lisa is still panicking awaiting her fancy dress costme but most importantly Jonathan is in posession of the mulled wine!! Great crowd going this year - nearly 20 more than last year plus we have 25 people on the Walkwise Whitby weekend at thesame time. The Xmas fun for Spicers will certainly start early & no doubt continue right through December!

So what can you expect here...

2011-11-21T09:03:00.001-08:00

Well hopefully I'll update you with latest news hot off the press - events as we book them & news on new ideas & projects happening in the office, news on event sales plus any reviews & photos from events that have happened. Well that's the intention but let's see how it flows!

So today is Monday & here's your very first Spice Yorkshire blog news ...

Event news - spiceball tonight full but if you need your weekly fitness fix - badminton has a handful of spaces tomorrow in Sheffield & plenty on next week in Bradford. Both of our breaks away over Xmas are now sold out. A-Z food tour G to The Great Gatsby now sold out. Murder Mystery in Leeds next week very nearly full as is the Leeds Xmas party. U40s meal on Thursday got fab numbers & now sold out well done Rosy.

A few new walks have been added onto the system today & I have just booked some Sheffield theatre nights: Save The Last Dance, Swallows & Amazons & Legally blonde. Writeups will be online later this week.

Other event news - ski balances should be coming out tomorrow so get your pennies ready! I believe Carol Taylor left the dogs night a winner but Lisa didn't!! I had the most beautiful weather day for our first net walking event on Saturday - we even ate lunch outside in November (minus coat!) & finally an event on JKs doorstep as Jonathan took a group dining to the letter F - the Fleece in Otley.

Office news - Jonthan has been beavering away on the never ending changes to the Center Parcs rooming list & prepping ski balances & processing all the weekends bookings, Lisa has been working on optimising our Christmas animoto video & manning the phones, I've been writing our social media strategy (part of which was to start a Spice blog!!) plus preparing for a meeting I have tomorrow mornng on a training day for our volunteer coordinators.

So there we go our first blog complete hope you enjoyed reading it. I welcome your comments as I'm all new to this. Do intend to add photos etc.. once i get a bit more savvy on here. Next step is learning how to make this blog mobile & post from my phone .. all great fun. Bye for now!!!

Here Goes....

2011-11-21T08:04:00.000-08:00

Hello & Welcome to the new Spice Yorkshire Blog telling you all about the fun on our events & behind the scenes http://www.spiceyorks.com