This year's Summer Event (barbecue) was hosted by our President, Pat Yarnold, on Saturday 26th June.
Association President Pat Yarnold welcomed a little more than sixty members and guests to his Summer Barbecue, held once more in the attractive Rose Garden of King Charles I School. This year, we were blessed by a glorious warm evening after a hot sunny day and there was no danger of any retreat to the protection of the adjacent Science Theatre building.
The regular chefs, Peter Picken and Martin and Heather Humphries, were joined by Joel Faulkner, and all worked tirelessly to keep a steady flow of burgers, pork chops, sausages and chicken breasts. These were complemented by salads and sweets provided by Committee members and friends, and liquid refreshment was again under the capable supervision of Ken and Pat Garbett and their helpers.
The whole ambience of the occasion was certainly complemented by the superb musicianship of keyboard wizard Tony Pearson who seemed to have an instinctive knowledge of the music which would add to atmosphere. He ranged through an eclectic mixture from the 60s, 70s and 80s to musicals, jazz and film themes. Many old salts were relieved that there was no hip-hop, rap, indie or funk, as none of us knows whether these are classed as music or are a collection of minor skin diseases. We were also pleased that the vuvuzela played no part in the musical background; having ruined the World Cup, it would have been as popular as root canal treatment.
There was a raffle with a significant number of prizes, which raised the princely total of £120, and the world was put to rights many times on many tables. One of the joys of the occasion is the meeting together again of old friends and contemporaries, especially from King Charles and the Girls' High School. In most of these lively groups, the old memories did the rounds once more, and long may they continue. As the brain cells continue to atrophy, it is all that some of us have left.
'Captain' Peter Vaughan, Entertainment Correspondent