Page 14 - PBCMarch2023

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 20 No.1 March 2023 14

The two representatives from the Chelsea
Hospital, duly announced their name(s),
regiment, rank, and age which was all
received with a great ovation from the
assembled members. Yet again, one of them
was younger than a number of the guests!

The Captain brought the gathering to order, and having observed a number of
improperly dressed guests he imposed the usual charity fines to be collected from
each table. A substantial collection was accumulated including the usual rogue
foreign coins & washers, all of which would be given to the President’s chosen
charity, namely ‘The Parkinsons Disease Foundation’.

At this point in proceedings, the writer was somewhat bemused to be summoned to
the top table by the President. What’s this all about? It transpired that the Club
had very kindly chosen to award me a long service badge, recognising my 50years as
an active member since those old black & white days of 1972. My grateful thanks
to them for this kind gesture.

So, back to the real stuff…….the introduction of our guest speaker, that well
known cricketer, but now better known dancer, Mark Ramprakash. The former
Middlesex, Surrey and of course England batsman (should that be ..batter?) was
quick to acknowledge that people seemed to be more interested in his dancing
expertise, forgetting that he was an international cricketer of repute having
played his first county match for Middlesex as a 17year old, and been selected for
England aged 21. As for his success in
Strictly Come Dancing which he won in 2006,
he was a little coy about what went on behind
closed doors when not boogying! He kept us
admirably entertained and amused with
anecdotal tales both on and off the floor, and
the cricket pitch, and was given rapturous
applause, having called on the guests to raise
their glasses to the “ Immortal Memory of
the Pickwick Bicycle Club”.