We have Ernest Morris to thank as our host again this year.
Many thanks to Bryn O’Neal, Lloyd Jones and some very generous friends of Kay Day who lent us their gazebos for the event after we double booked with the Longshaws.
Sunday morning on 2nd July started with Ernest welcoming the gazebo team who set to work putting up the 4 tents, seven tables and forty chairs in record time. They then all rushed back home to get washed and dressed and return for 12:30.
In the meantime, Ann Evans, Kay Day and Ann Tennant laid the tables and prepared the food.
Numbers were a little down this year, with some last minute cancellations reducing our number to below 40.
At 1 o’clock, Ann Evans welcomed everyone to the event – our 23rd year and everyone found a place at the tables.
We were all a little worried that the wind would catch the tents and send them skywards.
At one point the catering gazebo was caught by the wind and had to be weighed down with bricks.
In the end there was more of a problem with the paper napkins and tablecloths which seemed to want to take to the skies, but it remained dry, which was the main thing.
Ann Tenant had prepared a really delicious and substantial salad, with many of us returning for seconds, and there was a great choice of desserts.
In the absence of our chairman Gwyndaf, David Powell thanked the tent team, Kay Day for organising everything, Ernest Morris for once again being our host and Ann Tennant and her team as caterers for their efforts in making the day so successful and asked that anyone who could, to help dismantle and put away the gazebos, tables and chairs.
We had a great many volunteers to help, and in no time the tables and chairs were cleared and put into Ernest’s garage, and, after some puzzling we worked out how to get the gazebos down and back into their carriers.
Thanks to everyone for making another successful Summer Lunch!
Bright blue matching chairs and, cheerful garden flowers adorned the crisp white tablecloths. At this juncture, our thanks to the ‘flower girls’ as they were referred to. The guests had come laden with their own wine, fruit juice, beer and fizzy water and people on the tables introduced themselves. I maintain that Welsh is my first language and, was fortunate enough to be educated through the medium of Welsh from the age of 3 to 21. I was especially pleased to catch up with a few people who spoke Welsh and spent a while chatting to Bill Jones about the delights of Amlwch and Anglesey in particular!
Table by table, we were invited to the serving area, where the To Dine For ladies had set up a veritable spread. Our food had been pre-ordered, I had salmon, others had chicken and there was a vegetarian option, all adorned by a variety of salads, I have to say it was very tasty. We had olive and chilli bread, which you could wash down with the drink of your choice. Extra food was available if you wanted a top up. Chatter, covering a multiple of varied subjects, was constant. David Powell managed to pop round each group to photograph everybody deep in conversation. For dessert there was fruit salad, tiramisu, chocolate tart with lashings of cream, should you want it. To round off the meal tea and coffee were served with some lovely chocolate mints. All in all, I would say the afternoon was a massive success, everybody was pleased to catch up, after such a long time of being at home.
I would like to give a special mention to Ernest Morris, whose delightful garden we enjoyed and for the loan of the gazebos by Alan Longshaw. Thanks too to David, Gwyndaf, Alan, Peter Johnston and Colin Thomas for erecting these and, getting the furniture in situ; hopefully it was dismantled a bit quicker than it went up. Thank you very much to Kay for her organisational skills and making the afternoon such a success, we all know that these events, don’t ‘just’ happen.
A fine selection of able-bodied chaps gathered at Peter & Beth’s home on Saturday morning to put up the gazebos for Sunday’s Summer Lunch. The garden looked like a team of gardeners had been at work, but Beth assured us that they did all the work themselves.
discussion about positioning of the gazebos in the garden. It didn’t take too long, and by midday, we were able to sit under the canvas to enjoy a well-earned drink and biscuit.
Fifty of us mingled in the garden before being asked to collect our food provided by To Dine For Catering company. A number of very helpful young assistants served the food – a selection of salads, new potatoes, cold beef and salmon en croute with various relishes, and bread and butter. We had brought our own wine and glasses but water was provided on each table and refreshed several times because of the high temperatures. Desserts were equally delicious with a choice of pear meringue and fruit tarts. Later, coffee, tea and chocolates were served at the table.
Someone wanted to know where to put up the Welsh bunting, whereas of course bunting was an English Royal Naval term and therefore an antithesis when used with Welsh.
Conversation flowed as we caught up with hwn ar llall. Each table developed its own personality: Margaret and John Edwards’ table was consumed in lively, humorous and energetic conversation with science and technology as a probable theme. Our table talked holidays, golf, theatre and opera and, the upcoming Brecon trip in September.
