Tasty mornings at Telford Breakfast Club

If it’s a really good cooked breakfast and a nice natter with the lads you’re looking for, look no further than the Telford Men’s Breakfast Club, now celebrating its six month anniversary.

Run by local charity Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin, members meet at the Toby Carvery at the Shawbirch Crossroads, Telford, the fourth Tuesday of each month, to have a laugh and put the world to rights.

Some come for the light-hearted quiz (not to be taken seriously), others simply enjoy a good chat and the chance to mix with like-minded gentlemen.

Peter is certainly not short of hobbies and interests: ‘I like going to the cinema, I enjoy walking, and I’m really into music as well, mostly the music of the 1960s, Tamla Motown, soul, but also bands like the Moody Blues.’

The 76-year-old is also a volunteer befriender for Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin and he’s here today with the man he has befriended, 92-year-old Alf. ‘We thoroughly enjoy the breakfast club. It’s really good to get out and meet other people. It gets people together. You make new friends.’

Barry, aged 66, joined the club just three months ago. He says: ‘I heard about it from another member. It’s really good to meet other people and have a nice conversation.’

‘I have plenty of other things that keep me busy in my life, I’m a member of the Art for Fun group at Wellington Methodist Church. I like to create pictures using chalks, watercolours etc. I have grandchildren and they keep me busy of course. Oh, and I speak Gaelic… You see I discovered this Gaelic folk singer and I really enjoyed the music but I didn’t understand the language and I wanted to know what on earth she was singing about. So I taught myself Gaelic.’

While many breakfast club members come here for the excellent food and the equally excellent conversation, some have loftier ambitions.

‘Me? I’m on a journey of self-discovery,’ says Pete who is here with his brother-in-law Matthew. ‘I’ve had some tough times in my life, partly because I have an addictive personality,’ he says. ‘I went into decline after I left the army and the RAF. I’m sorry to say that I was on the slippery slope and my mental health suffered. But I’m happy to say I’ve come out the other side of all that and now I really enjoy things like this, the breakfast club.’

Brother-in-law Matthew says: ‘The two of us do disc-golf together, a game you play in the same way as golf but with a frisbee rather than with a golf club and ball. We play every week. It’s great fun! And then we come here to the breakfast club and talk about it.’

Running the club today is one of the charity’s Service Development Officers, Claire Fishlock. She’s just about to start the quiz. The questions have a spooky feel to them this week as it’s Halloween, sparking plenty of laughs and friendly arguments, and you can see why these gentlemen enjoy the club so much.

For more details about Telford Men’s Breakfast Club, call Age UK Shropshire Telford & Wrekin on 01743 233 123 or email enquiries@ageukstw.org.uk