Dedication of the 41 Club Garden at the National Memorial Arboretum – 17th July 2011

After much hard work from Lichfield 41 Club in preparing the 41 Club Garden at the National Memorial Garden on the outskirts of Birmingham, members of the Round Table Family gathered for the formal “Dedication” of the Garden led by Immediate Past National Rev Malcolm Lockey. After a short service the four Associations laid “floral tributes”.

The rain held off and there was time for walking around the Garden and enjoying the facilities. I had never been there before, and found it a very moving experience, especially The Armed Forces Memorial, which provides the recognition and the thanks for those who have given their lives in the service of the country since the two World Wars.

For those who have never been to the Garden, it is well worth visiting and it is deserving of a full day’s tour around the various monuments. I will be recommending it to my son who spent several years in the army.

Congratulation to all those involved in organising the day for 41 Club, especially to Lichfield 41 Club and our secretary Martin Green for his assistance on producing “The Order of Service”.

LOTS - 12th July 2011

The evening was spent in London when I was very kindly hosted by London Old Tablers’ Society at their speaker evening. It was an honour to visit such a distinguished club with such a history, especially as the club is older than the Association.


It was really nice to meet up again with old friends from Round Table (and to make new ones) and everyone had a good time, with laughter and good banter around the table. It was also nice to welcome a new member to the club – Ralph Preston, who will now always be addressed at the meetings as “Preston”. It is a tradition of the club that all members are referred to using their surnames; a tradition that goes back many years.

I look forward to revisiting the club in the New Year and meeting many of them at the lunchtime meeting in The Lamb.

National Council Meeting – 8th & 9th July 2011

The weekend of the Council meeting took us to my Region here in Sussex, when we visited Brighton. The men had committee meeting early on the Saturday, followed by the National Council meeting. Whilst the men were in their meetings, the wives visited the Brighton Pavilion – some went to the shopping centres, but I think everyone enjoyed visited “The Lanes” with its wide range of shops – and the pier.

The evening was spent relaxing at the Greyhound Racing in Hove, where over a meal everyone could have a bet on the winning dogs. That was the idea, but I think most people lost but some of the winnings were contributed to RTCW. We even had one of the races named after the Association and also got a mention in the programme.

Overall, a very enjoyable and productive weekend and my thanks must go to Dave and Pauline Campbell and Mike and Jan Turner who organised the weekend.

Visit to the Isle of Man – 4th and 5th July 2011

After a quick flight, Jill and I arrived in the Isle of Man. The weather was very good and we were met by Geoff and Joan Crabtree (Past National Tangent President), who took us sightseeing around the south of the island. We met Steve Leonard  (Past National Councillor) and Irene for lunch and then went onto visit John E10, who cannot get out very much now, but has a collection of Presidents’ banners going back to George Douglas – mine now has now joined his collection.



Martin Quayle in House of Keys



The afternoon took us the House of Keys, where we were showed around by on old friend of ours (through Round Table) who is now an Honourable Member of the House of Keys – Martin Quayle.

In the evening, we joined with 41 Club members on the island at a local pub – a pub which is on the TT Course and the walls are adorned with pictures of motor cycles and their riders.

Martin in the procession on Tynwald day

The Tuesday morning the weather had changed to heavy rain, but we were able to visit the Tynwald Day Ceremony. This is when all the laws passed during the year are read out in English and Manx at an open air ceremony, which has been taking place in similar form for over 1000 years. It was a really enjoyable day out in which you feel are taking part in a very historical ceremony. In an adjoining field there is a Tynwald day fair with many local charity stalls. Rushen Round Table had a stall with a  "human fruit machine" which proved very popular and was hilarious to watch.

In the evening, we joined with more 41 Club members at a local restaurant.

A great couple of days in which we met many of the island’s 41 club members and Round Tablers.

Region 22 Golf – 6th July 2011

A record turnout from Region 22, turned up at Downes Crediton Golf Club (just outside Exeter) for a afternoon of really enjoyable golf – apart from the soaking over the last 3 holes! – and dinner afterwards. Downes Crediton Gold Club was formed in 1975 and is still relatively young. The course was originally farmland, but tree planting and a lot of hard work has transformed it into a beautiful parkland course. The Region will hopefully be well represented at the National Golf Finals in September.

Llantwit Major 30th Charter – 1st July 2011

Llantwit Major’s 30th Charter celebrations were held at the local rugby club, where over 90 (from several clubs, including a frequent visitor from Belgium) enjoyed a good night of fun and fellowship with Llantwit Major Tangent presenting a Birthday cake for the Club to Chairman Keith and carrying  out a great interruption.

The food was excellent, the speaker Dai Vaughan, very funny and the whole evening went really well – a tribute to all the hard work put into the organisation of the event. The evening was well finished off, with bacon sandwiches and port at two in the morning.

Forest of Dean 50th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon – 26th June 2011

On a very hot Sunday, Jill and I had the pleasure of joining Forest of Dean 41 Club at their 50th Anniversary Celebration Luncheon. It was held in the beautiful countryside of the Forest Of Dean at The Speech House Hotel, who looked after us very well.



It was a really enjoyable lunch with time well allocated to hear of the reminiscences of several of the members. The highlight of which was hearing from one of the Founder Members Roy , who founded the Club in 1959 (2 years before its affiliation). We finished the luncheon with a Round-Table type Serjeant-at-Arms who managed to raise over £400 for the local hospice.



Founder member Roy Mitchell







RTCW Golf Day at Moseley Golf Club – 24th June 2011

A few days ago, it looked as if this event would be cancelled, but seven of us decided to go ahead with a game of golf as it was in our diaries. As it happened, the fund-raising team from RTCW travelled all the way up from Bournemouth and together with final numbers of over twenty, not only did we have an enjoyable game of golf, but raised approximately £250 for the charity.

The golf was played at Moseley Golf Club; a club founded in 1892. It is a parkland course only 5 miles from Birmingham City Centre, with plenty of trees and bunkers. It is one of the most prestigious and respected golf clubs in the Midlands, with rolling fairways (never appeared to get a flat lie) and great greens. It is incidentally the venue for the RT National Golf at the Sporting Weekend in 2012.

1741 BBQ - 22nd June 2011

When I set of from home it was pouring with rain, but by the time I had reach my destination in Enfield, North London the sun was out and it was the perfect weather for a BBQ.


It was there that I joined up with 1741 Club for a summer BBQ in the grounds of the local Scout troop. There were plenty of logs and loose bricks around so it did not take long to get the fires going. On went the potatoes and the vegetables (both in the same pot) and then the chicken. All this followed by dessert. It was a good night of fun and fellowship, sitting around talking, eating and drinking beer and time just seemed to disappear and before long we were clearing up and it was time to leave.

Looking forward to joining up with them again in September to support the local Donkey Derby.

Re charter of Evesham 41 Club Asparagus Supper 21st June 2011

Jill and I had a very enjoyable evening, joining the Vale of Evesham 41 Club at their Re-Charter Dinner in the Village Hall in Littleton.


The Club had left the Association several years ago, so it was with great pleasure that I was able to attend this dinner and “officially” re-present the Chairman’s Jewel to their new Chairman, Glen Lyon. It was also his birthday, so the event was a double celebration – the chocolate cake was good.



glen's birthday cake



Glen is one of the “leaders” of the local Explorer Scouts and they were there to cook the celebration “Asparagus Dinner”. They had a wonderful menu starting of with asparagus soup, followed by ham with vegetables with asparagus and finished off with asparagus ice-cream. Not on only did they cook the meal, but also served it and ran the bar. As a bonus, through their hard work on the evening they managed to raise almost £100 for club funds.

I am sure that Glen will have an enjoyable year as Chairman and that they are looking forward not only to supporting their local Round Table, but also to take an active part in the 41 Club Region.

East Grinstead 41 Club Visit to the British Wildlife Centre 20th June 2011

 

 Not a lot happens in the sleepy village of Lingfield, except the horse racing and it is home to the British Wildlife Centre.

Together with our National Councillor, Manny Martins, a small group of us visited the Centre, which is home specifically to British Wildlife. A really enjoyable and informative evening, even if it did rain and some of the animals would not come out to be photographed!

Region 20 Golf 14th June 2011



my ball well placed for the hole !!!



A warm summer’s day took us to the Temple Golf Club near Maidenhead for the Region 20 Golf Day. The course was in perfect condition (with wonderful views over the surrounding countryside and the River Thames), but my golf has not improved very much.



An excellent day was organised by Bourne End & Flackwell Heath 41 (as holders of the Mike Fitchett Trophy) and Frank Venables (the National Councillor for Region 20), when over 20 players enjoyed the golf and the dinner afterwards. The Region will hopefully be well represented at the National Golf Finals in September.

Iceland AGM – 9th-12th June

Together with a contingent from Stratford-upon-Avon 41 Club, myself and Jill joined Iceland 41 Club at their AGM. Now that there are three 41 Clubs in Iceland, there were able to celebrate forming an “Association” and are now able to become full members of 41 Club International.  Their first President is Smari Rikardsson who I spent time with when he was President of RT Iceland and I was President of RTBI. 

They put on a magnificent weekend of fun and fellowship, and I was very sorry to be missing out on their “post” AGM tour – another year perhaps.

Frodsham & District 41 Club 7th June 2011

Together with Ray Hill (National Communications Officer) we joined Frodsham & District 41 Club for a snooker night. They are a young and informal club, who like to arrange active evenings/weekends for their members and are proving very attractive to the retiring Round Tablers. This was their first “formal” sit down evening for some time (apparently over one year) and after the dinner there was a “question and answer” session about what is going on in 41 Club.

 We did play some enjoyable snooker afterwards to round off a very good evening. This is another game I play with great difficulty, especially as I am colour blind in red and green!

Region 11 Golf 7th June 2011

Region 11 held their golf day at Crewe Golf and was superbly organised by Roger Scowcroft (Northwich 41 Club). We started off in sunshine, then the heavens opened, but we finished in glorious sunshine again. The course (which is currently celebrating its centenary) was in good condition, picturesque and quite undulating with a lot of water and trees – or at least I managed to find them both!

I thoroughly enjoyed the day – the company and the food. The Region will be well represented at the National Golf Finals in September.

41 Club International AGM 2nd to 5th June 2011

This year it was held in Toulouse, France. A large British contingent (including many who had been on the pre-tour) enjoyed a weekend of fun and fellowship (and good food) with colleagues from around the world.

Congratulations to Jean-Louis Boileau from France for being elected International President and I hope he has a good year.

The Gala night on Saturday was held with those that attended the French AGM and there were over 200 people at the event, the food and entertainment were superb, the whole event very well organised.

Region 21 Golf – 27th May 2011

My first outing of golf for almost a year and didn’t it show. An event jointly organised by Ray Jones (the National Councillor for Region 21) and Andy “Hollis” Holyoake (Chippenham 41 Club) took us to the Cumberwell Park Golf Course hear Chippenham, where everyone enjoyed an excellent afternoon of golf (with the course in superb condition) and excellent fun and fellowship in the bar afterwards.

 Despite my efforts to bring my team down to my level, together with “Hollis” (a member of my National Executive when I was Round Table President) and David Fife (Clevedon 41 Club) we managed to come second. Congratulations must go to Chippenham 41 Club who won the event and will go on to represent the Region in the National Golf Finals in September. I just hope my golf improves by then.

Calpe 41 Club 5th Charter Anniversary Dinner – 26th May 2011

Both Jill and I had the pleasure of joining Calpe 41 Club in celebrating their 5^th Charter Anniversary Dinner, which they combined with last years Ladies Night. The evening went very well; the food, venue and the singer were excellent and the dancing went on well into the night.  An excellent evening and if you ever visit this area of Spain, you will be assured of a warm welcome.

German 41 Club AGM – 20th & 21st May 2011

A large contingent including Tablers from the Isle of Wight, enjoyed the hospitality at the German AGM in Coburg. Although a bit smaller than our own AGM’s, they  put on a superb weekend with good venues and good food. It was nice to meet the Presidents of the other Association’s and hopefully we can all work together to take 41 Club International forward.

Great Britain & Ireland Past Presidents’ Weekend – 13th & 14th May 2011

The Past Presidents (together with widows of Past Presidents) meet every two years and this year the event was organised by Drew and Moira Cochran and was held in North Berwick.

Several of the Past Presidents meet up to renew old acquaintances and as well as enjoying the local food and visiting the local area, it is also a chance to quiz the “New President” about what is going on in 41 Club and Round Table.

A really enjoyable weekend and I look forward to the next one.

RT Area 23 Severnvale 60th Charter Dinner – 12th May

A really enjoyable evening was had at the Round Table Area 23 60th Charter Dinner. Many tables from the Area were there to support the new Area Executive, who were introduced to the meeting, and to witness the handing over of the Chairman’s Jewel. Also at the meeting was the new National President of Round Table – John Payne – and we both brought greetings from our respective Associations – under “friendly fire” from sugar cubes. The evening was completed by the comedian and more beer.

It was very good to see the evening well supported by the local 41 Club’s and they have promised to continue that support over the coming year.

Rothwell & Distict 41 Club’s Annual General Meeting 10th May

Accompanied by Immediate Past International Officer, Andy Waite, we both enjoyed the evening with Rothwell & District 41 Club at their AGM. It was a good fun evening with lots of laughter too. Another club which have a full list of officers and it was a pleasure to induct a new member  John Paley as well.

Round Table Conference – 5th-7th May

 

An excellent Conference was held at the Imperial Hotel in Blackpool, thoroughly enjoyed by approximately 600 delegates.

The weekend was started with a visit to an excellent show on the Thursday evening – Funny Girls.

The International Lunch and Banner Exchange were held in a local Chinese Restaurant on the Friday lunchtime and were really enjoyable .



The day was completed with the Fancy Dress Party. The theme being “Skool Disco” which went on to the early morning.

The Annual General Meeting was held on the Saturday. Over 200 delegates were present and enjoyed a day of the usual serious debates and good humour and after a full day John Payne was installed as the new National President, with good wishes from 41 Club. The Presidents Banquet is now held on the Saturday Evening and the final exchange of Jewels took place then.

A busy and very enjoyable weekend and congratulations to all those who took part in the organisation.

Godalming 41 Club’s Annual General Meeting – 28th April

Invited by the Secretary, Jim Laity, who I have known for several years, I joined Godalming 41 Club for their Annual General Meeting which had been delayed due to holidays.


It was a really enjoyable evening with lively debate on the accounts and membership, with a new member inducted as well. Another well organised club which ranks amongst their officers (as well as the traditional ones) a Speaker Secretary, Ladies Night Organiser, Sports Officer and an Editor.

A good club to visit and I am looking forward to joining them at their golf day, diary permitting.

41 Club Joint Meeting with the French – 22nd April

The first meeting organised by the Association’s new International Officer – Dave Campbell – took place on-board the Cross Channel Ferry between Dover and Calais.


The Joint Meeting between Region 25 (Kent) and the French Region 1 (Nord Pas de Calais Picardie) had been superbly organised by Dave (as the outgoing Councillor) and his French counterpart, Stephane Andriolo.

The idea for the first of such a meeting was very simple – the British caught the ferry to Calais, the French then got on and we had a joint meeting as we sailed back to Dover; the British then disembarked and the French then enjoyed a meal whist sailing back to Calais. With approximately 100 members from both countries in attendance, it was a wonderful opportunity to enjoy the fellowship of 41 Club from both countries.

Hopefully it will be the start of an annual joint meeting of the Regions/Club and might even encourage some Clubs to “twin”.

Stafford 41 Club’s Annual General Meeting and 50th Charter Celebrations – 20th April

Accompanied by the Association’s new National Communications Officer – Ray Hill – we joined Stafford 41 Club for their Annual General Meeting with which they also combined their 50th Charter Celebrations. We had a really good evening, were made very welcome and were very well looked after.


Stafford 41 Club were a lot of fun and we had a good laugh throughout the night, with a few serious moments. They are also a very well organised club and rank amongst their officers a Regalia Officer and an International Relations Officer.

The highlight was the presentation of the Service Award to David Orme, who has been of tremendous service to the club, having served as both Secretary and Treasurer of the Club for the last 25 years.

Burgess Hill and Hassocks 41 Club’s St George’s Day Dinner – 19th April

A warm Tuesday evening saw me being invited to join with Burgess Hill and Hassocks  41 Club at their St George’s Day Dinner. A really enjoyable evening, with super food and a very funny comedian. The evening was finished off with the singing of favourite songs, including “There’ll Always Be An England”, “Land Of Hope and Glory” and “Jerusalem”. A really good evening of fun and fellowship and, with over 80 there, testimony to its popularity which has grown over the years.

East Grinstead Annual General Meeting – 18th April

I was straight into my first event as President on the Monday after Conference, when I attended my own club’s Annual General Meeting. An enjoyable evening (meal of ham, egg and chips all round and a frozen summer pudding as dessert) attended by about 20 of our members, including some that we had not seen for a long time and a prospective new member. There was the usual discussion about annual subscriptions, places we had visited and what we had done during the year, but we all enjoyed the evening and I left being somehow voted in as vice-chairman.