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May 2005 Scarborough |
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A weekend at the sea side 211 annual reunion
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211 SCARBOROUGH WEEKEND MAY 2005. I ARRIVED FRI MIDDAY TO BE GREETED BY A FINE STRAPPING FIGURE OF A MAN (JOHN DUNNE) PUTTING HIS CAR PARK TICKET ON HIS CAR FOR THE WEEKEND (WHO COULD REMEMBER HIS ARMY NUMBER BUT CAR NUMBER ?)ANYWAY AFTER PAYING AN EXHORBITANT PRICE OF 10 PENCE FOR PARKING FOR THE WEEKEND,WE FOUND THAT OUR ROOMS WOULD NOT BE READY TILL 1400 HOURS. SO WE HAD A THOUGHT WHY NOT GO TO THE PUB!! OFF WE WENT TO THE HIGHLANDER FOR JUST THE ONE (MAYBE) IT WAS A GOOD JOB DIXIE TOLD THE RECEPTIONIST TO TELL THE REST WHERE TO COME. OTHERWISE WHO WOULD PAY FOR THE NEXT ROUND. THEY STARTED TO ARRIVE IN DRIBS AND DRABS SO WE COULD NOT BE UNSOCIABLE AND NOT STAY. THEN AFTER A GOOD CHINWAG WE MADE OUR WAY BACK TO THE HOTEL WHERE WE MET UP WITH THE OTHERS AT TEATIME. IT WAS GOOD TO SEE WING COMMANDER TOM START AGAIN LOOKING AS YOUNG AS EVER AND WALLY D`AGUIAR WHO I HAD PREVIOUSLY MET IN LINCOLN AND KEN OGARA WHO LOOKED ARMLESS (JOKE) IT WAS AS THOUGH YOU HAD SEEN THEM YESTERDAY. AFTER THE EVENING MEAL WE ADJOURNED TO THE BAR TO CATCH UP WITH OLD TIMES AND TO CHAT TO THE NEW COMERS. THEN IT WAS THE TIME FOR GARY STEWART TO UNVEIL THE NEW TROPHY WHICH CAME IN A WOODEN METALSMITHS BOX(AT FIRST I THOUGHT HE WAS TOUTING FOR BUSINESS FOR JOHN COLE) HE GAVE THE HONOUR TO DAVEY WOOD WHO JUMPED UP LIKE A SPRING CHICKEN AND OPENED THE BOX. IT WAS A SPLENDOUR TO BEHOLD. THE CRAFTSMANSHIP THAT WENT INTO THIS TROPHY WAS SECOND TO NONE AND WE MUST GIVE OUR GRATEFUL THANKS TO GARY AND HIS TWO FRIENDS WHO ALL HAD A HAND IN THE MAKING OF THIS TROPHY. (I WILL BE SENDING A LETTER OF THANKS TO THESE TWO PEOPLE NAMELY ROY AND STEVE. THE BEER FLOWED THE TALES WERE TOLD AND ONE BY ONE WE DRIFTED TO BED TO GET READY FOR THE MORNINGS ACTIVITY. WE ALL ARRIVED AT BREKFAST ALL ANXIOUS TO SEE WHAT THE MORNINGS ACTIVITY WAS. THE FIRST HINT CAME WHEN TOM AND DIXIE CAME DOWN TO BREKFAST WEARING GREEN TIGHTS (HA HA)WE ALL PILED ONTO THE MINI BUSES AND TAXIS TO GO TO OUR ACTIVITY!!DRUM ROLL!!ARCHERY.WE ALL HAD SIX ARROWS TO BEGIN WITH AND THEY FLEW AND FLEW AND FLEW RIGHT PAST THE TARGET. THEY WERE CALLED SIGHTERS OR SHOULD I SAY OUT OF SIGHTERS. AS THE DAY WENT ON WE ALL GOT BETTER.!!WELL WE COULD NOT GET ANY WORSE!!PLUS WE HAD SOBERED UP A BIT BY THEN. WE EVENTUALLY FOUND A WINNER AND THE REST OF OUR ARROWS AND SAID GOODBYE TO OUR HOSTS. THE NEXT STOP WAS WINKINGWILLIES FOR OUR FISH AND CHIPS. UNFORTUNATELY WE WERE EARLY SO WE DECIDED TO GO TO THE NEWCASTLE ARMS FOR LIGHT REFRESHMENT AND A GAME OF POOL AND LISTEN TO THE KAROAKE. AFTER THE FISH AND CHIPS THE REST OF THE AFTERNOON WAS FREE AND WE WERE TO MEET UP IN THE BAR AT 1815 HOURS FOR DRINKS AND EVENING MEAL,AFTERWARDS TO RETIRE TO THE BLUE ROOM FOR THE MEETING AND PRESENTATION. THE MEETING WAS OPENED BY JOHN HALEY WHO WELCOMED OUR NEW MEMBERS AND THE USUAL TOASTS WERE TAKEN. KEN PEPPER TOASTED OUR ABSENT FRIENDS AND I WOULD LIKE TO SAY AT THIS TIME A BIG THANK YOU TO BRIAN HOGAN AND KEN VALE WHO SPONSORED THE WINE. I WOULD ALSO LIKE TO OFFER OUR BEST WISHES TO DES AND CAROL AND FAMILY WHO COULD NOT MAKE IT DUE TO PERSONEL FAMILY BUSINESS. DIXIE STARTED THE PRIZE GIVING BY HONOURING TWO OF OUR MEMBERS BILL ELLIS AND GARY STEWART WITH THE PRESENTATION OF A MUG. THE WORST SHOT WAS BY WILLIS (SCARLET)FOR HITTING THE FURTHEST POINT ON THE TARGET FROM THE BULL AND WAS PRESENTED WITH SOME BOWS AND ARROWS WITH RUBBER SUCKERS ON AS PER HEALTH AND SAFETY REQUIREMENTS. THEN TOM STOOD UP AND PRESENTED THE WINNER ROBIN PEPPER HOOD WITH A BOOK AND A HAT PLUS THE TROPHY WITH HIS NAME ALREADY ON IT. THE MEETING DECIDED ON GOING TO PORTSMOUTH IN 2006 AND JOHN HALEY WAS GOING TO LOOK INTO LONDON FOR THE FOLLOWING YEAR. IT WAS DECIDED THAT WE SHOULD ALL WEAR THE REME TIE AND DAVE PERRY AND IAN DIBBLE ARE SORTING THIS OUT FOR NEXT YEAR SO WATCH THIS SPACE. THE MEETING WAS CLOSED BY JOHN HALEY WHO THANKED EVERYONE FOR COMING AND WISHED THEM ALL A SAFE JOURNEY HOME. AT THIS POINT WE ADJOURNED TO THE BAR FOR LIGHT REFRESHMENT A GAME OF BINGO AND A CHIN WAG OVER THE DAYS EVENTS. AFTER BREAKFAST WE ALL SAID OUR FAREWELLS WITH EVERYONE GONE AND JUST PAYING THE HOTEL BILL. A WOMAN CAME UP TO ME WITH ERIC DEVEREUXS PANTS.!!SURPRISE !!SHOCKED !!NO SHE HAD CLEANED HIS ROOM AND FOUND THEM. (AUTHOR) J.S.HUGHES |