We had our first outing on 30 September. Even though we have 14 group members, only 6 decided to view the Royal Shakespeare Company performance of "The Merchant of Venice", filmed live in Startford-on-Avon.

Response to the movie was varied - Shakespeare doesn't appeal to everyone - but we all agreed it was an outstanding production with wonderful performances from the actors. As we watched Shylock prepare to extract his pound of flesh, this story didn't feel like a romcom. But it was - and the love stories were intricate and amusing. The group rated on how each person valued the experience - with an average of 6.5 out of 10. Next time, we agreed to choose something less demanding.