… was a splendid affiar last Saturday. Hosted by Liz Lewzey in her bijou garden (ie. half of Oxshott), 18 of us rolled out for a serious discussion about the future of our club. No, we didn't – it was in fact an afternoon and evening of endless Pimms, beer and Hannibal Brown fizz, Thanks for Coming and Man of the Match fines, piss-taking and captain's limericks, medal awards as we have been promoted up into Middlesex Premier division, all punctuated with gut-churning liqueur chocolates to keep the booze levels nicely topped up. Oh, and both Dark and White Russians in the boiling sun for Jo Wakeman, which explains how she was so remarkably sozzled at the end of the night!
But the day proved yet again that we are a bloody good group of people. I was going to say 'girls' but as you'll spot from the photo some people's daughters are old enough to be our 'girls', and 'ladies' is a definite an over-statement for us on the lash – so 'people' it is.
My personal thanks to Caroline Harding for getting just a few more 'Thanks for Coming' votes throughout the season than me, or I would have been up for the trophy. And for you non-hockey players, no, it's more wooden spoon than glorious award..
The only challenge was locating everyone as we spread out around Liz's pad, some on the snooker table (playing I mean, not spread-eagled), some watching that abortive England footy game in the red room, others polishing off the huge BBQ spread and the final few wandering about the other wings of the house, wondering where on earth we all were… Lucky fo rLiz, no-one got in her pool this time round - though there's always next year!
SO good to feel summer had finally arrived – the red nose beginneth already x