Northern Christmas Party
Sunday, December 13, 2009
What a great day! The sun was shining, there was a light breeze, and all those who assembled at the National Automobile car park were already happy! As we stood and chatted as we waited for our throng to grow, Barb Swan related a quirky experience they had while driving through the streets of Launceston to the meeting point; a voice had hailed them from three lanes across, and cried "Oi! I used to work on those in Coventry!" (referring, presumably, to their XK150.) Later, when our group was complete, we set off towards Myrtle Park, in a loose convoy.
Arriving at the recreation ground, we set up camp near the shade of a large tree, where we could choose to sit either in the sun or shade, as the weather deemed appropriate. A procession of goodies moved from cars to the large (and recently renovated!) kitchen in the hall, awaiting a suitable time to be brought out for consumption. But there was no rush, the group was happy and relaxed. People sat and stood, partaking of drinks and nibbles (why did they think we'd need extra food???), enjoying the sun and the company.
We had arranged for some guests to join us; two pipers from the St. Andrew Caledonian Pipe Band had brought along their bagpipes. Watched by their wives Annette and Sandy, Garry and Phillip delighted the group with a selection of well-known tunes as our dedicated band of cooks slaved over the barbecues preparing our lunch. As the pipes skirled and the smoke swirled, the vast array of salads was brought out onto tables, and before long, everyone was tucking in. This year, we had obtained the BBQ meat from Kirk Stewart, a sometime club member and butcher, and many people remarked on the delightful flavour of the sausages and rissoles he supplied.
With the main meal over, people sat and talked, moving back and forth between the sun and shade. Some took advantage of the pause to take a leisurely wander along the banks of the St. Patricks River, which skirts the grounds. We had arranged a raffle, with a prize pack of a Christmas hamper, a couple of bottles of wine, and a pack of Tony's Famous Fudge; sale of tickets was brisk, and we quickly emptied the raffle book.
But wait, there was more...! Soon, the tables were cleared, and a fresh wave of delightful desserts arrived; meringue, flummery, cakes, ice-cream... the choice was huge. One of the guest Pipers remarked, "I think I'll wait for the dust to settle", indicating the throng around the table; he was quickly advised that if he waited too long, there would only be dust left! Despite the quantity of food, the table was soon almost bare, but people seemed to be sated.
Well, almost; a couple of special treats still awaited us. Maryanne appeared bearing a delightful homemade liqueur, which she offered around the group, and Tony shared out a batch of his famous chocolate fudge, which is perennial favourite in the club! Now people were really happy!
The Pipers stirred themselves into another set of tunes, including some Christmas favourites, as the 'elves' quietly cleared the tables of the remains of our feasting. Then it was time to draw the raffle; Ronnie reached into the pot and drew the ticket owned by Chris King, one of our tireless cooks. He seemed extremely happy with the win; not sure if was the prospect of the wine or the fudge...?
Still, people seemed reluctant to leave; apart from one or two, who had other commitments, the majority stayed on, enjoying the day to the full.
We must thank several people for their efforts in this event: our 'cooks de jour', Martin, David and Chris; our guest Pipers Garry and Phillip, who provided us with entertainment; Maryanne for her delicious liqueur; Tony for his fudge; and the JCCT for providing such a great group of people to have a party with!
- Geoff and Tony
You can find more pictures from this event in the Galleries.
Arriving at the recreation ground, we set up camp near the shade of a large tree, where we could choose to sit either in the sun or shade, as the weather deemed appropriate. A procession of goodies moved from cars to the large (and recently renovated!) kitchen in the hall, awaiting a suitable time to be brought out for consumption. But there was no rush, the group was happy and relaxed. People sat and stood, partaking of drinks and nibbles (why did they think we'd need extra food???), enjoying the sun and the company.
