A Tuesday afternoon well spent

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How better to spend an afternoon than in the pub, swapping stories with your mates? 

A couple of weeks ago the lovely bunch at Trainline got together in Vauxhall for a special Social Club with their older neighbours from all across Southwark and Lambeth for an extra special afternoon of doing just that! Londoners of all ages, who would never otherwise had the chance to meet, spent a wonderful afternoon laughing, joking and pub quizzing.

Although meeting up for a drink with friends is a social staple most of us often take for granted as something we can do whenever we like, for many of our older neighbours it’s a rare treat. But thanks to Trainline’s generosity and enthusiasm to share time and company with their older neighbours, they were able to bring a Saturday night pub party atmosphere to an average Tuesday afternoon. 

To kick the afternoon off, Gwen, Karem, Simon and the gang put their heads together to tackle questions based on our capital. The rounds ranged from questions on famous south Londoners, to musical bingo, obscure London landmarks and even a few cryptic tube station riddles.

The quiz prompted constant story swapping: Miriam explained to Neil how Electric Avenue in Brixton got it’s name (it was the first market street to be lit by electricity), and Gwen shared stories with her team on what it was like to move to London from Jamaica in the 50s.

By this point the conversation was flowing and the laughter was infectious. The room was buzzing with answers to questions about cockney rhyming slang, the typical length of a commute and even the average cost of a pint! (Apparently it's £3.31, though nobody could believe it). 

In the end, it was Martine, Sarah, Rene and the rest of ‘Quizteam Aguilera’ who scored the most points, but the whole afternoon was brimming with such fun, laughter and mirth that it seemed like everyone had won. 

Whether you're 85 or 25, spending time laughing, joking and connecting with new people is an important part of life. Messing about, sharing quality time and learning from others is crucial in building friendships. That's what our social clubs are all about. Older neighbour Tony even wrote a poem about what a fun and refreshing time he'd had. You can check out his wonderful work here.

Older neighbour Daphne (90) told us on her way out: "I've not laughed so much in a long time - I wish every day could be this magic!". Big thanks to everyone at Trainline for making all the fun and new friendships possible. 

If you’d like to get a team of colleagues together for a special social club, please get in touch. You can email Charlie at [email protected]. Cheers!