3_reindeerWow! Is it mid December already? Have you heard? Have you seen? It’s beginning to look a lot like Xmas! The suburbs and high streets are alight with festive cheer, and the all too familiar sounds of Bing Crosby, Slade and The Pogues (Justin Bieber, Taylor Swift or One Direction if you are under 16!) jingling Santa Claus is Coming to Town, Frosty the Snowman, and Run Rudolph Run (to name but a few!)!

Yes Slipstreamers, ‘tis officially the season to be jolly, so be sure to join us on Saturday the 12th December 2015, which is when we’ll be having our annual Awards Presentations and Xmas Party to celebrate the achievements and successes of not only our Members but also the Volunteers who run the club. We have well over 80 awards to hand out, so please do be ready to clap along and cheer your fellow Slipstreamers on!

First and foremost, as Saturday’s session will not be run like a regular session, do please read on for the running order of events and what you need to do and bring along…

IMG_6750Early Session – Monthly Time Trial…

Sign on will open at 8am and the last TT for 2015 will kick off around 8.25am – our schedule is VERY tight and we ask that if you are attending the TT on Saturday, you make sure you are on time and ready to go. If you are not signed on before 8.30am, you will instead be assigned to Chief Elf who will direct you to help us set up for the party! For this Saturday only, once you are done with your TT, you will need to sign-on again as part of the main session – read on to understand why – and be changed and ready for the main session as quickly as possible.

Saturday Sign-On…

Sign-on will commence at 9am and close at 9.30am in the classroom (where the kit sale is normally held) – if you aren’t sure where to go, just ask a helper! There is NO payment required for the Saturday session, but for health and safety reasons and in the event of a fire drill, you must all still sign on. Parents please kindly help us ensure this happens. Please kindly remain out of the main clubhouse whilst Chief Elf and the crew of Elf Volunteers are setting for the awards and decorating.

Annual Awards Presentation…

IMG_6763The first awards will start being handed out promptly at 9.30am inside the main clubhouse, so make sure you are signed on and seated by then. We have a LOT to hand out (see list of winners from last year), so please help us by ensuring you are on time and being respectful to those presenting and indeed receiving the awards. Remember, it could be your name being called out so pay attention – if you miss it we can’t come looking for you so you will miss your opportunity to stand on the podium and shine!

IMG_0061Food, Glorious Food…

As usual, the North Pole Catering Crew will be laying out a delightfully nutritious spread of snacks, nibbles and moreish treats for our Members (children, not parents!) to quell ravenous appetites and ensure there are no hunger-driven tantrums! Food will be served around 11am, so make sure you have a good breakfast to keep you going until then!

Fun & Games…

Once all the awards have been handed out, there will plenty to keep you entertained throughout the morning until Santa makes an entrance. There will be mountain bike games, skills games, sack races, limbo, tug of war and all manner of challenges. Of course, the legendary Wrighty’s 10p game will also be played, so bring a few 10p coins with you as well – if this is your first Xmas party with us, it will all make sense on Saturday!

IMG_6826Santa Claus Makes an Entrance at Minet Park…

Make no mistake, we do our best to host a good party, and what better way to do that then invite the most magical and important guest of the season to brighten things up! Yes Members, brace yourselves as Santa Claus will be taking the reindeer and sleigh out for a spin (you know, testing the magic and all that…), and has agreed to make a pit stop at our party (shhh, don’t tell non-Slipstreamers!). We have it on VERY good authority that there will be a few sacks filled with presents to be handed out, so listen out for your name when Santa and the Elves start handing them out!

What to Bring…

If you are doing the TT, be sure to bring spare clothes to change into; as well as layers so you stay warm whilst you are playing games outside. Do also bring your mountain bikes along as these are generally best for all the games, but if you prefer, road bikes will be fine. Make sure you are wearing normal trainers – we don’t recommend cleats. Parents, we welcome any photos you can share for our gallery (which will soon have 1000s of new snaps uploaded soon!), so do please bring your cameras along and share these with us via this link here.

IMG_0020Best Dressed Helmet Competition…

We will be having a competition to judge the best dressed helmet, so feel free to dress yours up in all manner of festive attire. Caveat: safety is important, so please ensure no decorations you use will come off or impair your vision while you are playing games or cycling about. If you are doing the TT, you will need to ensure you are wearing an undecorated helmet for safety reasons.

Wrapping Up…

All good things must eventually come to a (temporary) halt, and we will be wrapping things up around 12ish so we can tidy up and be out of the clubhouse in good time for the afternoon adult races. Volunteer helpers to clear up will be most welcomed!

It promises to be fantastic morning, and we look forward to celebrating our members and their achievements. See you all on Saturday!