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Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine. Volume 9 No.2 July 2012
From the Deputy President
Editorial
This Bi-Centenary year, marking Dickens’ bicentenary and the President’s Luncheon May 2012
the birth of Charles Dickens, has
been perhaps the most In anticipation of the Dickens bicentenary, some years ago the
memorable one in the recent various Pickwick Clubs decided to
history of the club, and it isn’t strengthen relations, with a view to
over yet, by a long way.
Members celebrated C.D’s cooperating on the 200 anniversary
birthday in February with a celebrations, in due course.
parade in Portsmouth, while, in
London, we were represented at The PBC was represented by myself
the service in Westminster and Justice Starleigh, and in due
Abbey, followed by a banquet in course, I accepted appointment as
The Mansion House. Samuel chairman of a combined working
Pickwick was invited to meet group. In the event, although very
Her Majesty Queen Elizabeth in
Buckingham Palace. And then, good relationships were formed, there
there was that fabulous was comparatively little tangible
President’s Luncheon in May at benefit, and the various Pickwick
the Connaught Rooms, where Clubs, which are very different as to tradition and style, celebrated
we were entertained by three
wonderful entertainers in the the bicentenary in their own way.
style similar to the concerts Over the period of my acting as treasurer of the club, a separate fund
enjoyed by our club in the very
early part of the last century. And of £16,000 was created from the general revenue, with the view to a
the Connaught surpassed itself bonanza celebration and with that in mind, a working party was
with an excellent menu. created of myself, Justice Starleigh, Simkins, Bullman and Joseph
Still to follow is the club Smiggers.
sponsored Dickens Memorial
Meet later in July. So far as I can recall, the genesis of the musical aspects of the
And how about those other President’s lunch in May arose in the car park at Twickenham, with
supporting events? The Queen’s a meeting between myself, Bullman, and his good friend Justin
Jubilee Celebrations, especially
on the great River Thames, the Lavender. In its early days, the club’s social events were very much
Street Parties, the Queen’s driven by musical evenings, with the members themselves
Birthday Parade, and the performing; I was not optimistic that this would produce a satisfactory
progress of the Olympic Torch standard, and when Justin Lavender expressed enthusiasm for a
in all sorts of ”unusual” weather.
musical event, it was too good an offer to refuse, particularly given
The Olympic and Paralympic his introduction of Louise Crane.
Games are yet to take place,
preceded by Mr. Pickwick’s Bullman and Sergeant Buzfuz had seen a performance by Lloyd Lee,
annual trip to France. and he was duly enrolled to provide a theatrical element, given the
The signs are that we have a lifelong enthusiasm of Charles Dickens, for the theatre.
potential winner of the Tour de
France and another great haul The formal proceedings of our club are well established and so it was
of Olympic Golds. All this despite interesting (and slightly intimidating) to take on something completely
a disastrous financial climate, different. All members of the working party played their part, not least
horrific weather, almost total Mr Pickwick in terms of detailed arrangements with the Grand
cock-up of Olympic ticket
allocations, no parking facilities Connaught Rooms.
for Blue Badge drivers at Box Hill There were no rehearsals, and although not everything was perfect,
(which rules me out), and
England’s defeat in the football many of our members expressed satisfaction with the nature of the
Eurocup. (Forget Wimbledon). celebration and the quality of the day overall.
But, chins up, the best is yet to
come., so enjoy and be happy! Jack Martin