Page 29 - PBCOctober2017

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 14 No.2 October 2017 @29

Lunch at The Leather Bottle ….June 18th

President Samuel Pickwick (Jingle) followed on in last
year’s president Bulman’s footsteps by arranging a
Pickwickian lunch at this old hostelry in Cobham Kent.
Extracted from their own website, the following explains
the connection with Dickens:

“The Leather BoMle is known to many as Charles Dickens'
Favourite Ale House in Cobham, Kent. The great man himself
not only used the inn and oTen stayed in Rooms 2 & 6, but he
also featured it in The Pickwick Papers, for it was here that the
lovelorn Mr Tracy Tupman fled aTer being jilted by his
sweetheart Rachel Wardle, where he drowned his sorrows in
Mr Pickwick's company.”

Members and family totalled 15 as they met up for pre-lunch drinks in the sunshine
before settling down to lunch. Apart from our President, there was Bulman, Jack Martin,
Peter Magnus, Winkle Snr, and newly appointed member Mr Mivens. Once it was
established who had chosen what from the menu, and the food served, conversation
flowed. It had been noticed that next to Bulman there was one empty seat, and on the
list two members were missing. Hardly had Bulman consumed his starter than…………in
walked (the very late) Mr Brooks and (real) son, Mr Pott,Editor Eatanswill Gazette,
complaining about the amount of traffic encountered on their journey. It might have
been quicker by horse & coach to Rochester was heard to be muttered somewhere.