The update we’ve all been waiting for – please read the entire post carefully, as a number of things have changed!

After some issues with our usual venue and restarting, we’ve been looking around for somewhere else to fence and have finally located somewhere that meets our needs. This may be a short-term move or a permanent one but it’s our only option at the moment. Thanks to the people who’ve suggested alternative venues and we appreciate everyone’s patience while we’ve organised this. Apologies to anyone where this change means you can’t fence with us at the moment.

From Friday 15th October, we’ll be meeting on Friday nights at the sports hall in Allestree Woodlands School, Blenheim Drive, Allestree, DE22 2LW. If you use the main entrance to the school, the sports hall and car park are on your right – pedestrian access to the sports hall is through the green gates ahead of you, on the left of the hall. This term, we’ll be fencing here through to Friday 17th December, which is our last session for the year. We’ll let you know the situation for January as soon as it’s confirmed.

Our junior session, including junior beginners, will start at 6.15pm. As it’s a sports hall, we’ve got lots of space but not much in the way of seating for parents or other adults, so feel free to bring a camping chair with you. If you’re an adult bringing other children who are not fencing, you are responsible for their behaviour and safety.

Our adult beginners will start at 7.15pm. More experienced fencers (e.g. those who’ve completed the beginners course) are welcome from 7.30pm. If possible, we’ll be organising a warm-up for you, if not you’re free to warm yourselves up, get the boxes out and fence – individual lessons will be available after 8.15pm. Group lessons may be offered on the nights when we have more than one coach present. At present, we’ll finish at 9pm – if there’s sufficient demand to extend this, we’ll look at our times again in the future.

You must sign in, giving the names of everyone who’s staying for the session, on arrival at the sports hall. We’ll be segregating kit used by the juniors (especially gloves) and sanitising masks; hand sanitiser will be available on entry and for use by fencers using our scoring boxes. Please don’t come to fence if you have any COVID symptoms and make sure to let the committee know if you test positive after you have attended a session with us.

Payment: at the moment, though this hall is more expensive than our previous venue, we’re keeping the cost of fencing with us the same as before. We reserve the right to change this but will give at least a month’s notice if that decision is made. Please check you have our bank details, if not email info@foiledagain.co.uk – online payments are preferred but we also accept cheques (made payable to ‘Foiled Again’) or cash – exact cash would help a lot.

Costs for fencing this term (October – December):

£40 for junior beginners, £50 for adult beginners; £48 for under 18’s, £60 for 18+.