THE JAPANESE CONVERSATION GROUP
HANAMI PICNIC
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Saturday, 24th April 2010
Each year the Conversation Group celebrates the coming of Spring with its much celebrated Hanami or cherry blossom viewing picnic. Taking place one Saturday in April,
we meet at 1.00pm at the east side of the Albert Memorial (to the right, if standing at the Albert Hall facing the memorial, see the map here ), and
then settle in under the cherry trees 20 to 30 metres away for an afternoon of eating, drinking and chatting.
It is very informal, so friends and family are welcome. People come and go all day, so you can also dip in and out as you like. We do of course ask that you do
bring some food and drinks to share though, as well as any other picnic paraphernalia you think would be good such as sheets to sit on, cutlery and cups,
balls, frisbees etc.
In the unlikely event that it rains, we head off to the Queens Arms pub, on Queens Gate Mews, where they serve Kirin Beer on draft.
We have found this to be quite consoling! Even if the weather is fine, you are likely to find us here after 5.00ish.
Please note that we may revise our choice of alternative pub: please check back here before the event for final details.
Saturday, 21st April 2007, 1.00PM
In living memory, never has a Hanami Picnic been so perfect. The weather was sunny and warm, the sky a deep an untroubled blue, and a gentle breeze
kept the cherry blossom fluttering down on us all afternoon. The contentment showed in the reluctance of the group to leave their spot under the trees:
no one could be motivated enough to throw a frisbee or a ball around for example, and at 5.00 o'clock, when we were supposed to head for
the Queen's Arms and our the Ni-ji-kai, it took a full hour to get everyone moving.
A usual crowd of 50 or so regulars and new faces attended bringing sumptuous amounts of food, with a brief trip to the off-licence on Gloucester Road
seeing off a temporary shortage of sake (or white wine and lager in this case!). The festivities in the Queen's Arms continued until well into the evening.
Roll on next year!
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