A VISIT to Big Pit in Blaenavon will be one of the highlights when Mensa members from across the UK head to Wales later this month for their annual gathering.

The Big Pit National Coal Museum was chosen by the members of the high IQ society to get a glimpse of Wales’ industrial heritage for the 2014 British Mensa Annual Gathering.

Steve Talbot, of Caerphilly who organised the gathering, said: “We already have a number of advance bookings for this event and I’m sure a lot of our members will welcome the opportunity to go underground and see what mining conditions were like for themselves. While the annual gathering will be Cardiff-based, I am very pleased to have had excellent support from members in the surrounding areas and I am hoping that as many members as possible from the Newport area will attend.

“There are many misconceptions about Mensa, but it’s basically a group of people from all walks of life, who have high IQs (intelligence quotients) and who enjoy getting together for a good chat. We very much hope the event will draw more attention to the organisation in Wales and encourage more people to become members."

He added: “It’s been estimated that two per cent of the population qualifies, so there’s plenty of scope for more people to join.”

The guest speaker at the dinner for the annual gathering will be the Rev. Lionel Fanthorpe, the popular TV and radio personality and author of more than 250 books, who is also a member of Mensa.

For more information contact 01902 772771.