March the 4^th was the day Calderdale was hit by snow and daily routines were disrupted, but for the Men United Group at Ovenden Park it meant disappointment that their planned trip to the Royal Armouries Museum in Leeds had to be cancelled at the last minute.

The trip finally went ahead on Wednesday 13 April after re planning and saw 11 regular group members get together at Halifax RUFC’s Ovenden Park Ground where they boarded a minibus provided by Community Transport Calderdale.

With laughter ringing out and the sun brightly shining, the group set off on their travels singing some of their favourite songs from the past including a Men United rendition of My Bonnie lies over the ocean led by Graham Smith which set the tone for a fantastic day out, marked with the groups ease of each other and their ready humour.

On arrival the men gathered together in front of the Armouries for a group photograph before splitting from each other and venturing on inside.

With an array of armour and weapons from various generations on display and the military backgrounds of some of the group members it was quite clear to see why the Royal Armouries was the place of choice for a day trip.

Graham Smith, Chair of HXRUFC and volunteer said:

“The venue was very impressive, packed with exhibits too great in numbers to be seen and considered in the allotted time but the armoury from the days of Henry VIII, the Civil War, the battles of Agincourt and Waterloo were very fascinating and a return is vital”

Roy Hulme, Member of the Men United group, speaking of his experience said:

“The Hunting Gallery was absolutely brilliant with some unbelievably lifelike exhibits. My personal favourite was the ‘Tiger Hunt’ which captured all the action of a close encounter with my favourite animal and you can only imagine what kind of feelings you would have in that situation”

Bill Stafford, also a member of the Men United Group, described the day as “Intriguing” and pointed out that he specifically enjoyed the ‘wearing of armour and its full purpose’ demonstration.

The group gave off the overall impression that the trip was a real success considering the time spent there and with memories brought back for some or the learning of new things for others it is certainly a day that added one more memory to be cherished.

To end the day the group got back on the minibus and headed to Heeds Hall Hotel where they all sat down together and enjoyed an astounding meal, talked over the day’s events, shared stories, laughs and fond memories in great company… Simply perfect!