I must admit that I was a bit worried on my way to the annual ‘Not the Christmas Lunch’. I had heard that we would be housed or should that be tented in a Marquee and my mind’s eye was conjuring a very cold lunch somewhere on the lawn outside of Gissing Hall with a long cold walk to the bar and the food being cold by the time it reached us. You can see a recurring theme here can’t you. The COLD. Nothing could have been further from the truth. The marquee itself was a delightfully spacious area and with judicious use of space heater, or at least I think that’s what they were, I for one was toasty and warm. The other advantage was that the room that we had eaten in the year before was bow an excellent place to meet and greet old friends without being in the way of the staff trying to set up for the meal. So despite my, entirely unfounded, fears we arrived to an excellently executed ‘Not the Christmas Lunch’
I was right about the COLD though, only in as much as we were fairly frostbitten by the time we arrived. We had the roof up and everything but nothing much kept the cold at bay. I rather feel that has been the story of the winter so far and it has sometimes been the warmth of Morgan inspired friendship that has dragged us out of the house and to some event that has uplifted us in a way that little else can.
Back to the lunch itself though. After we had arrived and taken pictures of and admired the cars in the car park, including the three wheeler, we were, of course delayed entering the building because we met people arriving and the normal chat in the car park ensued. Yes I know I said it was cold but a chat has to happen where a chat has to happen and it actually wasn’t quite as cold as it was when we went to the Fir and Feather either that or I had wrapped up and kept myself better insulated.
Eventually we went inside and found our way to where the party was. I was searching for another description but there really was a party atmosphere. I got Diana and I a drink and then proceeded to do the paparazzi thing for a while before realising that I was missing out on a) talking and b) drinking. Luckily Diana had been persuaded to be the driving person.
We were called in to food and had it not been for the fact that I had already been in to the marquee to put add my raffle prize to the growing pile as well as return our trophy from last year this would have been my first site of the ‘tent’. I was really pleased and relieved. Well done Gissing Hall they had done us proud. The food was good and the company better and we munched away until Maurice called us to order. He presented the Supporter of the Year award, this year awarded by the new committee to David Kennett and presented the Secretary’s Prize to Roger Tatton. Both awards very well deserved.
After this we got on with the raffle which raised a very reasonable sum. and I was very pleased that, via Chris Dady, I walked away with the Morgan tie!!!
I have to admit that I forget what time we all upped stumps and wended our way home but it was dark by the time we arrived there. All in all another memorable and fun afternoon.
P.S. When I started to write this report my computer decided that it was time to join the choir eternal and died on me. All of the web site is, of course, on the server but I am trying to do this on Diana's laptop and not everything is on her machine yet so this may appear a little strange. I hope normal service will resume soon with pictures I hope!!
Well some pictures are here but not everything is perfect yet. Still working on it and deciding if I can afford a new machine. That's time as well as money. Have fun everyone.