Hurricane John fails to flatten Hubberholme . A Report by Roger H
(Or how our Chairman’s reluctant absence failed to dampen our spirits as much as the weather)
A little light sightseeing in true Caribbean style
Cartographic Pete having decided that the Banana Bunch needed encouragement to dress strangely, a Caribbean Theme was the order of the weekend. Cue calypso:
“Lichfield 41 Club, came here to this nice pub,
And now we come year on year, for crackin’ food and drink Eddie’s beer”
So after an interesting drive up, Rob C, Pete C, David C, Roger H, Donald M, John M and David R left the dry, warm George Inn and walked a few Chapman miles along the banks of the vigorous River Wharfe to the dry, warm pub in Buckden. Then back.
“Welcome to the George Inn, for drinkin’ and gorgin’,
Of walkin’ we quickly tire, better to sit with the dog and fire”
“We walk by the river, until our legs quiver,
We come back wi’ achin’ thighs to Black Sheep beer and delicious pies”
So off to our sumptuous quarters to change for dinner. Florid shirts and interesting faces – and vice-versa! A sort of Dreadlocks and Drumsticks followed. Accompanied by some understanding fellow guests who were provided with kazoos, the evening’s post prandial entertainment was a wonderful whirl of wild music,verse, John More magic and merriment. The highlight? Probably ‘Ilkley Moor’ beautifully rendered by Rob Carter
“You’ll hear lots of gnashin’s, as Ed cooks full mashin’s,
It’s not the pub’s idle boast that you won’t need to fill upon toast”
At Breakfast a decision was made that the planned multinational assault in the summit of Buckden Pike would be a mistake of the highest order. Better to stick to a motoring excursion. Shades of last year, the access road to the George was threatening to flood and the wind was terrible. Time to buy an Amphicar.
And so it was that we drove through low cloud over quite a lot of Yorkshire, guided unerringly (ho-hum) by local knowledge. We nearly saw quite a lot of things before we reached Richmond, where a tiny patch of blue sky raised our spirits. A visit to the Museum of the Green Howards proved delightful and is recommended if you are ever seeking refuge from Yorkshire Damp. The proximity of an open Pie Shop proved too much of a lunchtime draw for our hungry lads before we motored back towards Hubberholme. En route, a roadside cairn and gin-clear views tempted our heroes to leave their limousines and consume the traditional home-made ginger biscuits and tiffin that usually fuel our stridings about the landscape. A sudden violent squall and heavy rain showed that 41 Club athleticism has not been lost, Carter R winning the Cairn-Jaguar Steeplechase by a belt-buckle.
Time for a beer at the George, then. But wait! It has stopped raining! Not blowing a hooley! Just time before darkness and thirst take their toll for an hour’s walk for Messrs. Carter, Chapman, Hartley and Moore.
Once everyone was back in costume the rabble revelers returned to savour the George cuisine in company of the surprisingly resilient other guests and hosts Jackie and Ed. Tooting of kazoos (not a euphemism) was forbidden until the dining was over and then whoosh, we were off for another sparkling evening…
“Calypso is easy, just don’t make it sleazy!
The one thing that really wrecks it is tryin’ to find a wordrhymes with Brexit”
“A verse about Jackie, could quickly turn tacky,
So p’raps if I cut the cr*p, that way I will avoid a sl*p”
Highlights were David Riley’s scholarly treatise on Gracie Fields which segued seamlessly into a rendition of ‘Sally’ augmented by the Massed Enebriational Choir, Peter Chapman’s virtually perfect recitation of ‘The Lion and Albert’ and a repeat by popular demand of ‘Ilkley Moor’. Tumultuous applause.
Next day dawned. As you might expect. However there was the threat of a further bad spell of weather and following our usual splendid breakfast the team set off to their welcoming bosoms etc. And it did rain, too.
Thanks are due to Jackie & Ed and the staff at the George Inn for their boundless hospitality and of course to our very own Peter Chapman for organising the weekend and to Rob Carter for the photo montage which follows.
“This George Inn calypso, was writ by a dipso,
You may think the rhymin’s…. bad
but I didn’t say sh*t and I’m really glad!”
©Brompton Boy 2018
Editor – as if the report wasn’t long enough, there is an addendum, published 2 December….
It was remiss of your humble, so very, very humble reporter to fail to thank David Antrobus for his Caribbean Ghost Quiz which, in his absence, he had prepared for our delight and delectation after dinner.The partaking in this quiz was a true challenge to a man’s intellect and powers of concentration, especially under pressure of pie, gravy and the merest hint of alcohol. It takes a special kind of person to come through under these circumstances and modesty forbids that I name the lucky winner; but I was pleased to receive the trophy at the following 41 Club meeting. I’ve always been special… Roger H