The 2014 Summer Event (barbecue) was hosted by the President, Charlie Combes, on Saturday 28th June at King Charles I School.
We've always known that having the Old Carolians Association barbecue close to Wimbledon and Glastonbury is fraught with weather problems, and this year was no exception. The previous weeks were lovely and sunny, but as the 28th approached, several of the Committee were concerned. On the day before the event, Association Secretary Colin Lloyd called a logistics meeting in the Rose Garden at the School to erect some tarpaulin shelters in the event of rain and to ensure that the guests and the chefs could find some protection. On the morning of the meeting, Kidderminster was hit by a period of monsoon rain lasting over an hour. Some of us had never seen the major roads so flooded and the designer wellies were flying off the shelves at Sainsbury's. At the School, the Rose Garden was distinctly squelchy, the raised terraces were deep in an inch of water and, looking at the School playing field and the athletics track, one could imagine Taffy Williams measuring with his Plunge pole. (Sorry to those of our readers that do not remember the unforgettable Taff.) The front of the Science building was suitable for rough sleepers but not Old Carolian diners. The meeting was postponed until later in the afternoon.
A helpful suggestion from Tim Gulliver was followed up enthusiastically in the afternoon. The barbecue was to be moved to the large picnic area, under cover, between the Blounts Building and the Old Building, where the students spend their leisure time. No tarpaulins or chairs and tables were necessary. It was not the Rose Garden, but a barbecue is made enjoyable by the food, by the people attending and by the entertainment they create. And so it proved. The fires were carefully tended by Peter Picken, Dave Laverty and their team. The chicken, steak, beef burgers and several types of sausages from the centre of the Black Country were expertly roasted, and all this was accompanied by a variety of salads and scrumptious puddings provided by Committee members. Bottles of New Zealand Sauvignon Blanc could be seen on the tables. We were entertained by the great music of the 60s and 70s from two huge loudspeakers as the banter, jokes and memories of those years spread amongst the groups of diners. I personally had visions of the Glastonbury bogs and the enthusiasts, listening to Metallica (are they an Italian scaffolding firm?), and was sure I would not swap my table for their patch of mud. Many cheered as the football result - Brazil 2, Chile 1 - spread around. A raffle was expertly organised and the magnificent sum of £88 was raised for the funds. The last prize, a superb Fortnum and Mason wicker basket, was won by my good lady. She wondered whether Smudgie the cat would like it as an executive bed and was sorry that the pickles, biscuits and jams had already been consumed.
So another successful barbecue was enjoyed by around fifty Old Carolians, their families and friends. The weather had done its best to thwart us, but we are all made of sterner stuff. In particular, special thanks are due to Peter Picken and his cookery team for all their hard work throughout the evening (first photo above including the Headmaster).
'Captain' Peter Vaughan, Home Affairs Correspondent