Page 17 - PBCMarch2014

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 11 No.1 March 2014 17
with some choruses of the regular songs, imploring us to sing better and the
correct words, to ensure harmony at the appropriate times required. It didn’t
work…..The President then addressed us with a few words of wisdom, and we all
sat down to good food, good wine, and good fellowship. We can certainly say that
this year as the Connaught Rooms management had clearly got their act together
once again, with- as far as I know - all the wine on the table to drink with the
excellently presented food, which does make a difference. The menu consisted
of cold avocado starter, followed by Lobster Bisque Soup, and then Homemade
Roulade of Turkey plus the usual trimmings. Then came the entrance of the Plum
Pudding, with lighted sparklers this year rather than the too often bonfire on a
tray, which tasted pretty good anyway.

The Pudding Arrives…….

And so the food was almost finished, and glasses were rattling, voices chattering,
whence came the robust voice of The Captain requesting ‘quiet’. It took the
usual increased octaves and threats to quieten everyone so we could hear the
trumpeters once more and then applaud the arrival of the punch, wheeled in by
those wonderful men from Chelsea Hospital in their red uniforms. Each announcing
his age, unit and service number, although I admit to being quite surprised when
one of them announced that he was a National Service veteran.

“Shoulder to shoulder” rang out again as the Boys
of the Old Brigade made their way back to their
seats, and then there was a momentary pause
before the “New Members” were announced and
duly saluted as they received their soubriquets.

Joe the Fat Boy

A special salutation then followed, with an announcement
for Joe the Fat Boy to approach the President. Joe
had been the guiding light of the Pickwick magazine
for ten years and turned it into a must have, must
read collectible. In honour of this achievement he was
presented with a History of the Pickwick Bicycle Club
book, with a specially inscribed frontispiece on behalf of the Club and signed by
Samuel Pickwick. He returned to his seat opposite me (the new Editor-oh what a
job) to appreciative applause.