Page 10 - PBCOctober2018

Pickwick Bicycle Club Magazine Volume 15 No.2 October 2018 @10

The food was once again very good, as it has been now for a few years, following that very
disappointing period of hit & miss offerings. The service was also much improved, so a vote of
thanks must go to the new management and staff for their efforts.
As the newly appointed Vice Captain, I feel I need to remind everyone of the dedication
required to make these events happen, and happen so well by your Club Captain, Dr Payne and
Club Secretary, Sgt Buzfuz. In addition the non-member volunteers who put in many hours of
their time to make sure these events run smoothly - as your Vice Captain I have only been
able to see this since my appointment. I therefore urge you to give them your appreciation,
and when things don’t go quite to plan you allow them your understanding, since they rely
heavily on the volunteers and the (ever changing) staff & management at the Grand
Connaught Rooms to provide the event for us. I doff my boater in their direction!

The final act of the afternoon was the singing of ‘Auld Lang Syne’, before adjourning to the
ante-room for photo opportunities, and in particular, for members to have their requisite
photo for posterity.
Mr Dumkins/Vice Captain (aka Paddy Green)

A recent communication from Frank
Simmery (Helmut Stibal) asks the
question:

“Was Charles Dickens one of the early
bicyclists?”

It maybe a sensational discovery. I
received the attached from Malcolm
Andrews, who is the editor of the
‘Dickensian’, and Emeritus Professor,
School of English,at the University of
Canterbury. Malcolm was a guest of
mine at one of the luncheons a few
years ago.