Harry Potter

**Battersea Park – plus Power and Pumps** This walk is presented by Central London Humanists and led by Robert Hall. Humanists believe we have just one life to be lived rationally and well, with compassion for others. This event is a guided walk of +/- 2.25 hours pointing out places of interest. We will be walking 4 Km / 2.4 miles. As befits a walk in winter it will be walked at a moderate pace. Whilst the grand power station still dominates the landscape it has competition from the new-build flats which have transformed the appearance of the area. However the walk is primarily based on Battersea park which was one of the main locations for the Festival of Britain in 1951 and still has features from that event. The large pagoda is a major surprise as are the many sculptures including one that is deliberately away from the main paths. Plus the Victorians certainly knew how to design elegant pumphouses! **Date:** Saturday 21st February 2026 **Time:** 2 pm with a prompt departure at 2.15 pm **Place:** Meet at exit of Battersea Power Station **underground station** at the top level. (**NOT** at Battersea Power Station building.) **Turn left after the ticket barriers.** It is strongly suggested you find us using: [https://what3words.com/cure.bench.junior](https://what3words.com/cure.bench.junior) \- or the What3Words app\. The nearest toilets are in the Duchess Belle, 101 Battersea Park Road SW8 4DS (across the main road) or in the Battersea Power Station building. There will be a very brief toilet stop on the walk. **Finishes:** About 4.30 pm at Battersea Power Station underground station or join us for refreshments at the Duchess Belle, 101 Battersea Park Road SW8 4DS. The walk is led by Robert – 07981963681. He can be contacted for further information but please note he won’t be able to respond to messages or calls after the walk has started. **The formal bit:** These walks are not suitable for dogs, sorry. CLH events are 18+ unless accompanied by a parent or guardian. If you have signed up but find you can't attend, please change your RSVP on Meetup (it’s very easy to do) as soon as possible so that an accurate numbers of attenders can be estimated. You are responsible for your own actions and safety; there is no liability on the walk leader or CLH for anything that may happen on the walk. You must be able to keep up with the walk leader at 4 Km/h (2.5 mph) for 5 Km (3 miles). It is participants' responsibility to safely cross roads. Where appropriate, pedestrian controlled lights will be used and obeyed unless it is obvious that the whole group can cross safely. When the group stops at a point of interest, please be mindful not to block pavements so members of the public can pass by safely. Don’t forget this is the UK and it may rain at any time! The walk will go ahead whatever the weather unless conditions are dangerous so please bring clothing for all seasons. **A donation of £3 to Central London Humanists would be appreciated.** The majority of Central London Humanists events are free, but we welcome a £3 contribution per head. This helps towards the running and organising of events, as well as various admin expenses. If you can't attend and would still like to contribute, or would prefer to pay online, please **[click here](https://checkout.square.site/merchant/ML71XMH66FX5E/checkout/ALWCDLQ3S7AVPLFZ62PZGXLU)**. We encourage dialogue, debate, and sharing of information, but ask people to keep their comments cordial. Any individual's views expressed (most definitely including the walk leader!) do not necessarily reflect the views of the group at large.

It's **Saturday** & our main night of the week & the fun & games are just getting started here at DWL! We're located here in the Cinema (which can be found on the 3rd floor of the Mercury Mall Shopping Centre) on: * **Tuesdays & Thursdays**: From 17:30 to 22:00. * **Saturdays**: From 12:00 to 22:00 🦁 And we're still running every Monday 6pm to 11pm at the Golden Lion Pub too. 🌭☕ There are hot & cold food & drink options available from the cinema at low prices! Supporting Premiere Cinema by buying their food & drink IS supporting Dicing With Life! The cinema has been very generous to us by bringing us into their space & our way of showing our gratitude is by sending some business their way. And their menu is surprisingly cheap! Especially compared to any other cinema. Here's some cool examples of some great **offers**: Buy a large **Popcorn** (it's a huge bucket!) or a large **fizzy drink** & it'll initially cost you £4, BUT, take your bucket or cup back to the bar for a **refill** & the cinema will refill it back up to the top for just £2! 🍿🥤 That's half price Popcorn & Pop! This also applies to **Ice Blasts** too (£5 initially but to refill it's just £3). There's also Hot Dogs, Nachos, Pick n Mix & many other treats in store too! Check out their menu 😋 If you have any questions, please ask & let the fun commence! 🎲

**Saturday - Lower Intermediate+ @ George Green's** Come and join our friendly badminton club for a fun and competitive doubles session at George Green’s School in Tower Hamlets! 🏸 **How it works** * Book your spot here on Meetup – spaces are limited. * Pay by bank transfer before the session – bank details are provided below. * Bring your own racket and non-marking indoor shoes. Feather shuttles are included. 🎯 **Level** This is a **Lower Intermediate+ session**. You should be able to play clears, smashes, drops, drives, and net shots consistently in games. All players **must be at the right level** for this session. Badminton levels vary between clubs, so we strongly recommend checking out our **Instagram page** to see what *we* class as **Lower Intermediate, Intermediate, and High Intermediate** before booking. We always use the **first game as a level check**. If it becomes clear during that game that the standard isn’t the right match for this session, **you won’t be able to continue beyond that point**. As a **small community club**, we’re unfortunately **unable to offer refunds** in these situations. 👉 Please **only book a session if you are happy to accept these conditions**. 💬 **Stay connected** We have a club WhatsApp group for updates, photos, and extra playing opportunities. Message Peter on **07561 100 413** after you've played at your first session and we’ll add you! 📍 **Venue** * Where: George Green’s School, 100 Manchester Road, E14 3DW (nearest tube: Island Gardens DLR). * On arrival: Let reception know you’re here for the Tower Hamlets Badminton Meetup. 💷 **Price** £12 per session, payable in advance. Bank transfer details: **Badminton Go Ltd** Sort code: 60-83-71 Account: 78644858 (Use your name + date as ref)

Join us at for this Saturday between 1-4.30pm at Pastures Youth and Sports Centre for a fun and social badminton over four courts. Nearest station is Leytonstone station on central line or Leytonstone High Street on overground. If you drive, you can park on street nearby (free on Saturday). Please make sure to bring your own kit and racket. It is £12 per person for 3.5 hours. We play with quality feather shuttlecocks. RSVP is now open on meetup. Once RSVP, please make payment to secure your spot. Any payment please make to: Monzo Name: Ba Quan Le Account number: 30719150 Sort code: 04-00-04 Important note: Our club is paid for by individuals; as such your attendance and payment is required when making a commitments to play - as a matter of respect, please ensure that you consider this when saying you will attend. **Booking rule: Please make sure once you rsvp to pay by the end of same day to secure your spot. In the event of no payment received and we have waitlist, your spot will be cancelled and given to the first person in the waitlist.** **No-shows and late cancellations will be fined: £6 for the first time, full fee for the second time and complete ban for the third time. Fines payable at the next session. Cancellations within 18 hours before session starts will be counted as late cancellations (We appreciate that things could change beyond control (due to injury, illness or transport issues), but unfortunately the club doesn't have resources to manage individual demands or changing circumstances. Keep it simple. Please book only when you are certain or willing to bear the risk of your own changes if you wish to book well in advance to secure your place).**

**Calling all bi+ folk!** Come and join Alice and Aaron for a lovely "crafternoon" at **Happy Potter Ceramics, Teddington. 14 Broad St, Teddington TW11 8RF** This social is for those of us who are **bi/pan/polysexual and/or bi/pan/polyromantic/m-spec or however you identify**. If you're attracted to more than one gender, this is the space for you! We've booked the studio for 3hrs and in that time, you get to paint your own bespoke item to take home and treasure forever. Take a look at the items available [here.](https://866642af-95db-46b4-bc6e-b84e8fc66b42.filesusr.com/ugd/d265c7_3836bbbf59ad4968bbe9e2cba2774e9f.pdf) Item costs are on a sliding scale, so hopefully everyone can find something that suits their budget and interest. Your item will be ready for collection 1-2 weeks' after the event, once it's been fired in the kiln. To book your space, we ask for a **£6 donation,** payable to the Forum [here](https://www.kingstonlgbtforum.org.uk/product/bisocial/). This covers your individual studio fee and confirms your space. This does **not** cover your bespoke item, which you choose on the day. Please email Alice/Aaron or message us via Meetup to confirm you've made payment. Spaces are limited, so please ensure you have confirmed. **Access:** While the website lacks formal access information, it *appears* to be wheelchair-accessible from reviews. Please do not hesitate to reach out with any access queries, as we strive to make events as inclusive as possible. [https://www.kidzrgogo.com/activities/happy-potter-ceramics-teddington-1764692759](https://www.kidzrgogo.com/activities/happy-potter-ceramics-teddington-1764692759) The pottery café is also an actual café, serving a variety of sweets treats and delicious drinks - gluten free, dairy free, vegan are catered for. Please get in contact with us if you are in financial hardship and the studio cost would be prohibitive in you being able to attend. ***\*P.s. While the venue is named Happy Potter, it is not affiliated with the franchise of a similar name or funding the author!***

**The Thames Path is a 182 mile National Trail stretching from London to Gloucestershire. This year, the group will aim to cover the whole trail from start to finish! This initial 5 part series will involve covering the “London” section of the Path from its start in Woolwich up to Windsor.** To add some fun to our adventure, you are encouraged to purchase the Thames Passport where we will collect stamps at over 30 stamping stations along the Path. Collect stamps at all the various stations and you can receive a Certificate of Completion for doing the whole trail from start to finish! The link to purchase the passport is here: https://walkthethames.co.uk/thames-path-passport/ **Please note that the walk leaders will be at the café at Southwark Cathedral from 10am. Feel free to join before we start the walk!** We begin Part Two of our Thames Adventure with more London highlights! **We will begin our second leg at Southwark Cathedral** to collect another stamp then head out to pass London landmarks Winchester Palace and the Globe Theatre, best known as the theatre of William Shakespeare. On the other side of the river, you will be able to glimpse St Paul’s Cathedral and Mansion House. Heading under Blackfriars Bridge and onto Waterloo, more landmarks will greet us including the legendary London Eye, Jubilee Gardens and Lambeth Palace, home to the Archbishop of Canterbury. On the other side, you will see the Savoy, 80 Strand and the famous Houses of Parliament with the Big Ben clock tower. Not too shortly after, we will pass under Vauxhall Bridge and skirt around Battersea Power Station before entering Battersea Park where we will have our lunch. Exiting the park, we will pass through some more wharfs and piers into Wandsworth before a pub stop at the Ship. Afterwards, we will continue for our final section to Putney Bridge, where our second leg will conclude. Before the trip home, we will pay a visit to the Tea House in Bishop’s Park to collect another stamp for our passports. Saturday 21 February 2026 Start time: 10:40 am Estimated finish time: 3:30 pm Difficulty: Moderate Distance: 14.5km / 9.0mi Ascent: N/A Type: linear **Travel Details** To get to London Bridge from Reading, please get the 8:30 train into London Paddington then take the Bakerloo and Jubilee lines on the Tube to London Bridge station. **The walk starts at Southwark Cathedral (SE1 9DA).** To return to Paddington at the walk’s conclusion, please get the District line from Putney Bridge. If your travel plans differ from this, please feel free to ask the walk leaders for suggestions on what may be suitable. **Dogs** * Assistance dogs only on this walk. Please see our dogs policy on our group website for more details. **Notes** * Please bring a packed lunch and plenty of water. * It might be muddy – please wear suitable footwear. Please see our group website for more information: [https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/](https://www.berkshirewalkers.co.uk/)

*"Joseph Wright of Derby has been described as the first professional painter to express the spirit of the Industrial Revolution."* – Tate Britain **Join us at the National Gallery for the first major exhibition dedicated to Joseph Wright of Derby's legendary 'candlelight' paintings.** Working during the Enlightenment and Industrial Revolution, Wright captured moments of discovery and wonder with a Caravaggio-like mastery of light and darkness. This exhibition reveals him as more than just a painter of scientific progress – his work explores death, melancholy, morality and the sublime. See his most famous painting 'An Experiment on a Bird in the Air Pump' alongside over twenty other works that continue to speak powerfully to contemporary audiences about what it means to observe, to learn, and to question. Read more here: [https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/wright-of-derby-from-the-shadows](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/exhibitions/wright-of-derby-from-the-shadows) **MEET DETAILS:** **FROM 2.15pm: MEET IN Bar Giorgio Cafe** **(Optional)** Level 0 Sainsbury Wing Foyer, National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN **3.00pm: ENTER THE EXHIBITION** The National Gallery, Trafalgar Square, London WC2N 5DN **4.30pm - Late: PUB SOCIAL (optional)** We'll head to a nearby pub for a social chit chat over drinks. *Location tbc in Event Comments 24 hours before the event.* **TICKETS:** Please book your ticket **[here](https://my.nationalgallery.org.uk/10552/10784).** Select the 3pm time slot (or around that time). * Standard admission: £10 (Sunday off-peak rate) * Art Pass holders: £5 * National Gallery Members: Free - no need to book **GETTING THERE:** Please see **[here](https://www.nationalgallery.org.uk/visiting/plan-your-visit?utm_source=google&utm_medium=google_paid_aip&utm_campaign=aip-grant&gad_source=1&gad_campaignid=20156872443&gbraid=0AAAAADjwvWmrlcpoafVnxrzxUIX2NIOQ4&gclid=CjwKCAiAwNDMBhBfEiwAd7ti1L5DjMc-gZnFokiVy_SkfB-YDycoef5X7pFWQSyeFi8I7oYZn5-pcxoCxdoQAvD_BwE)** for more information. **EVENT WHATSAPP GROUP** If you are on the 'Going' list, please join the event WhatsApp group to help you find the group on the day. The link will be shared in the Event Comments below at least 48 hours before the event. *Joining this WhatsApp group will make your phone number visible to other members in the group.* **PLEASE READ:** LoMAZ events are run by volunteers. This event has an attendee limit as we prefer a smaller, friendlier group. If you RSVP but can no longer attend, please change your RSVP as soon as possible, **otherwise you will be marked as a 'no show'.** We remove members from the group who: * repeatedly sign up for events then 'no show' * repeatedly change their RSVP to 'No' * are on the event waitlist or have not RSVPd but turn up anyway. Please see the **[About Us section](https://www.meetup.com/london-museums-a-z-for-30s-40s/)** for more information about the group and how it works. Thank you for your interest in the group & being part of LoMAZ. 📸 **[Follow LoMAZ on Instagram](https://www.instagram.com/londonmuseumsatoz?igsh=MTl5N3doNmJ6OXN1cA==)** Photo credit: Trafalgar Square, London by Benhard Cranach, 2014. Via Wikimedia Commons. Licensed under CC BY-SA 4.0.

Hey Terrible Footballers! We play in Regent Park. See the map above or follow the below whatsapp link. Leave a message and someone will respond on Saturday night. Sometimes we have openings as late as that and this is when final list is finalised.So feel free to add your name to the waitlist. Everyone is welcome! That means every skill level, gender, sexuality etc. Just gotta be over 18! No one gets upset if we miss a pass.... or the ball altogether! Skills vary from old semi-pro players all the way to never kicked a ball. We weren’t fibbing when we said inclusive. Please bring a BLACK and WHITE tshirt. Please aim to arrive at 10:15 (ideally 10:15am to help out in the setting up) as we want to kickoff at 10:30. (If you arrive late after kick off, you may have to wait around half hour for the next half). Please sign up early (during the week if possible), check the meetup page for the week and our Whatsapp group for any last minute changes. Follow this link to join us on whatsapp: https://chat.whatsapp.com/HLps3JK0kSmHR2vuJj1VDu The game will normally go ahead come rain or shine if we have the numbers. Some important information: • Age 18+ • Terrible Football meet-ups are extremely popular but unfortunately we have limited spaces. If you end up on the waiting list, please wait and see if a spot becomes available. We will have to check who has RSVP-ed if too many show up and will have to turn people away if they’re not on the list. • Please show up on time! If you have RSVP-ed but don’t show up on time, we will have to give your spot to someone else! If you show up after we have started playing, and no one else has taken your spot, you might still be asked to sit the first half out in order to prevent confusion. There is nothing worse for organisers than people showing up late! • As mentioned above, we don’t charge, however, if you are a regular, we do ask you to donate some money once or twice a year for the upkeep and new equipment. For any questions, please contact one of the organisers. See you there! TFC Team

The **IN-PERSON** Fandorica returns on **Sunday 22nd February 2026 from 3pm onwards till late!** That's **Sunday 22nd February 2026.** So please do join us for what will hopefully be a day long remembered! We plan on being there till late. So if you can't pop along at the start, then join us when it's convenient for you! It'll all be very relaxed with a welcoming atmosphere. The idea is simply to bring people who have a shared love of all things geek together for a good time! It's all about meeting people and making new friends! Trust me, you won't need an encyclopedic knowledge! Ultimately, it's going to be you all that will make it what it is. Feel free to chat about anything you like! Be as silly or serious as you want! So whatever you're into... Doctor Who, Marvel, DC, Star Wars, The Last Of Us, Stranger Things, Cobra Kai, Disney, Supernatural, Comics, Films, Books, Board Games, D&D, etc, I'm sure we'll all have something in common to talk about! Chat about anything you fancy! Please do RSVP to confirm that you're coming along. If you RSVP to the meetup, you'll also get updated quickly if any details change. So hopefully see many of you at the Fandorica! To make sure that everyone has a fantastic time at the Fandorica meetups, please do familiarise yourselves with the Fandorica Etiquette which can be found here: [https://bit.ly/fandoricaetiquette](https://bit.ly/fandoricaetiquette) **The Fandorica meetups are free to attend for everyone. However Meetup itself does charge a fee to the organiser for the service. So if you enjoy coming along to the Fandorica meetups and want to help keep them running, then you can donate via the Fandorica PayPal page: [paypal.me/fandorica](paypal.me/fandorica).** **Donations to help keep the Fandorica meetups running are optional but every penny helps!** **\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*** **The Mad Hatter is a great meetup pub and we're lucky to be getting it, so can I please also kindly request that you do buy some drinks and snacks at the bar since that makes it worth their while hosting us!** **\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*\*** As always, you can contact me by either messaging me on here or via the following ways: Website: http://www.fandorica.co.uk Instagram: TheFandorica (https://www.instagram.com/thefandorica) Bluesky: Fandorica.bsky.social Mobile: 07463 621 754 (WhatsApp preferred). See you at a Fandorica soon! :)

Hi all, cost, & info below, 2.5 or 5 mile walk, visit an incredible victorian coal yard that processed 8 million tonnes of coal a year, now turned into an open-air magnificent development in 2018 with vintage charm, see a square that incorporates a fountain consisting of 1,080 individual jets rising from the flush paved surface of a plaza, a beautiful walk along a stretch of the wonderful Regents Canal. (**After this walk, there is a Lost London Lantern Walk of Barnsbury, an incredible old area walking back in time! If you link both the walks together, the other walk is HALF PRICE! There is a break in between the walks to eat or drink locally before the next walk and the other walk is not far by the underground train, only 1 stop away on the same train line!)** Daytime Walk: See where some of the London Olympic rings are placed, visit a peaceful natural park, see an amazing Antique shop, a stunning victorian lock for canal boats, a magnificent canal boat now a bookshop! Giant gas holders turned into an open space and luxurious, elegant apartments. We will go to very rare areas of London you may have never seen. We will visit the beautiful St Pancras Church, home of the Hardy Tree and also Frankenstein's Mary Shelley's mother's grave, where Mary consummated her relationship with Percy Shelly! Afterward, for the 2.5 mile walkers, you will have to make your own easy way back to the station, where I will give directions for you for Caledonia Street back to the station. 5 mile option includes all of the 2.5 mile option See modernist housing designed by the Tecton architecture in 1954, the oldest gymnasium in the UK from the 1800s, the Victorian accommodation for the rail workers for Kings Cross, Grimmauld's Place; The Order of The Phoenix HQ in Harry Potter, graffiti on a long wall from Policeman! The site of where Lenin lived, the site of the New River reservoir from the 1600's which still provides fresh water today to London from Hertfordshire and we will hear the 'new water' 17th Century river still rushing under the ground from where we stand, one of the most famous people in Victorian England; a famous clown where they ask you to dance on his grave! And, wow factor! we will see in my opinion, one of the largest areas of untouched Georgian architecture in London from the immense bombing from World War 2, a truly astonishing delight to see so much beauty with every corner turned and just seeing rows and rows of stunning buildings and history. I hope you can make the additional 2.5 miles (within the 5 mile walk) to see this amazing sight. It truly is an amazing walk. 2.5 or 5 mile option walk, Incredible secret walk of the King's Cross and Pentonville area which is absolutely full of amazing delights, more than you could possibly imagine! Find out some brief local history along the way and meet new friends. **WHERE TO MEET** **(Please allow 15 minutes to arrive before departure time)** Starts and ends at The Harry Potter Shop at Platform 9¾, inside Kings Cross Mainline Station. If using the underground to get there, on exit please take the 'Pancras Road and Regents Canal' sign, when you are standing outside at the top of the station, turn right immediately into the mainline station. We will meet outside the front of the shop. Harry Potter shop is next to the mainline toilets. **COST** £10 cash/card payment by simply turning up on the day. There is no charge to RSVP beforehand on the Meetup event. Walks are normally 90% full before the day, so an early RSVP is advisable to avoid disappointment. **AFTER SOCIAL DRINKS/MEAL (For attendees of the walk only sorry)** The Fellow Pub, 24 York Way, London, N1 9AA, 18 Guests, 2 tables **ABOUT OUR LONDON WALKS** It is a 15-year fascinating journey together to explore the whole of beautiful, enchanting Secret London. The only walking group in the World offering this unique experience! The individual walks have been created from an original route several miles in length (usually on average about 50 miles) where we have checked every nook and cranny, every hidden alleyway, lane, lost cobbled path, cul de sac, avenue, road or street in that area for you! It is then shortened, to give back to you a magical walk with all the best bits of 'Lovely London', voted the best City in the World for the 10th year running! What is given back to you is the most scenic, healthy walk (usually 3-6 miles in length) with some of the walks containing hidden cobbled lanes, lost shops, secret gems, areas lost in time, wonderful views, idyllic Instagram photo shots and all sorts! Now and then some brief local info is mentioned or something of historical importance along the way. You will have plenty of time to chat and meet new friends whilst walking the amazing lost areas of London! So we welcome you to the colourful highlights of this fascinating City of London with simply wonderful things to see! **TERMS AND CONDITIONS** PLEASE ensure ARRIVAL at least 15 minutes BEFORE the start of the walk, sorry no latecomers are accepted for whatever reason. Members attend the unique walks from our different meetup groups. IF LATE, SORRY WE ARE UNABLE TO RECEIVE CALLS OR ANSWER EMAILS AS WELCOMING MEMBERS, LEADING THE WALK, AND CONCENTRATING ON THE SAFETY OF THE GROUP. PLEASE DO NOT BE LATE, YOU WILL NOT BE ABLE TO CATCH THE GROUP UP, PLEASE ARRIVE EARLY TO AVOID DISAPPOINTMENT. Part Tour - Medium pace walk from 'Visit England' Award-Winning Guide and our group featured in the National Press! Please Note: Some events, being a large attended meetup group will be an organised walk only, but members are very welcome to organise their own get-togethers after the event. You are required to be fit and healthy with appropriate footwear & clothing, responsible for meeting at the correct location, own safety and to not lose the group by viewing the organiser/making the organiser aware as much as possible, or follow/not lose sight of the person(s) from the same walk in front. We advise carrying water and some snacks. The organiser is also not responsible for any circumstances that may affect the group or personally such as personal accidents, rail information, engineering works, cancellations, rail strikes or delays, heavy traffic, tours affected, weather, walk paths or routes closed, postcodes for car parks or for when we arrive back at the station, or anything else not mentioned! By joining the event you agree to all the terms and conditions. No Dogs allowed sorry We really look forward to welcoming you on the walks/tours for a wonderful, great, fun day!

Bring your Raspberry Pi, Arduino, microcontroller, or any other electronic project and join fellow electronics makers for a night of creativity and collaboration! This session is open forum to share your current projects—whether complete or in progress, it’s all interesting! Whether you’re deep into embedded systems, exploring new ideas, or just getting started, you’ll find a welcoming space to collaborate, share, and get inspired. (NOTICE - Location change!) This session will be at the Karl Road Branch of the Columbus Library in the Conference Room 2.

Can two girls—one enchanted, one the enchantress—save their kingdom and each other? Two hundred years ago, a slighted deity stole the magic from Auréal and vanished without a trace. But seventeen-year-old Odile has a plan. All her life, her father, a vengeful sorcerer, has raised her for one singular task: infiltrate the royal palace and steal the king’s crown, an artefact with enough power to restore magic. But to enter the palace, she must assume the identity of a noblewoman. She chooses Marie d’Odette: famed for her beauty, a rumored candidate for future queen…and Odile’s childhood-friend-turned-sworn-enemy. With her father’s help, Odile transforms Marie into a swan and takes her place at court. But when the king is brutally murdered and her own brother is accused, her plans are thrown into chaos. Desperate to free her brother, Odile is forced to team up with none other than elegant, infuriating Marie, the girl she has cursed…and the girl she can’t seem to stop thinking about despite her best efforts. To make matters worse, there are whispers that the king’s murder was not at the hands of man, but beast. Torn between loyalty to her father and her growing feelings for Marie, Odile becomes tangled in a web of treachery and deceit. To save her kingdom, she must find the true path to magic…and find the real killer before they—or it—strikes again.

Some trained COUNT volunteers work together once a month at RMH (http://www.rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer.php) as Housewarmers (usually on the 1st Sunday from 1 – 5 PM). Some schedule other shifts at their convenience. You may try this out with less fuss by following a "Fast track" or go through the normal process. Fast track • Arrange a time to shadow a COUNT volunteer. Call Dave Nohle at 614-268-9558 (cell). • Show up and try it out. • Complete application, etc. later. Normal process • Complete an online application (http://rmhc-centralohio.org/volunteer/). • Attend orientation in advance. • At orientation you will complete forms agreeing to keep family/patient info private and allowing a background check and tour the facility. • Complete one training shift. Daily shifts are: morning 9 AM - 1 PM, afternoon 1 - 5 PM and evening 5 - 9 PM. • Schedule shifts online using the on the RMH scheduling system (http://www.volgistics.com/ex/portal.dll/?FROM=32895). The Ronald McDonald House (RMH) provides housing and meals for families with sick children. The Columbus RMH is the largest in the world with 137 rooms. COUNT has been volunteering there since May 2014. Housewarmers work with RMH guests to provide a home-like environment - greet, assist with family needs, answer phones, give tours, assist with checkin/checkout, prepare guest rooms after checkout, clean facility, laundry, restock supplies and staff the front desk. RMH Housewarmers volunteer at least one four-hour shift a month. All Housewarmers must complete an application and agree to a background check before they can be full fledged volunteers.

We'll meet at The Capital One Café, 167 Easton Town Center, Space A-103. This is in the main mall where the Microsoft store used to be, on your left if you're standing at the bottom of the AMC Theater escalator. Join us on Saturday for an hour of uninterrupted wordmaking! • What we'll do Join us for an hour of writing! We’ve discovered that it’s strikingly helpful to write with other writers. See if it’s true for you at 10AM on Saturday mornings. Be it a book, blog, script, essay, dissertation, resume, melody, poem or just plain work stuff, you are invited to write it with us. No one will see what you've written or give you unsolicited advice. Instead of just thinking about writing, come and get some real writing done. SCHEDULE: 10:00 - SESSION 1: quick intros. 10:10 - timer starts: write for 1 hour. 11:10 - chat / take off / keep writing. OPTIONAL SOCIALIZING happens at 11A-11:30ish. Writing is very solitary. Connecting (and sometimes even commiserating) with other writers is a cool thing. BEING LATE IS OKAY: just show up and get settled, then check-in with me after the session. (I’ll be the person with the Shut Up & Write! sign.) If you were on time, please be willing to make room for the friendly latecomer. Happy writing and I look forward to seeing you! • What to bring Whatever you need to be able to write! Bring earbuds/earplugs if you want to block noise or the occasional conversation by other patrons. Electrical outlets are limited, so charge your devices before whenever possible. See you at The Café on Saturday!