ANNUAL DINNER AND PRESENTATION Nov 2005 BY BOB PARRISH

First, an admission – Devon is beautiful; the pace of life suits me; I play lots of competitive golf, which I enjoy, and the people, on the whole, are great.

Unfortunately Devon is also VERY hilly! It is for that reason I have to admit – I have yet to ride a bike since moving here in October 2003. And for that I hang my head in shame.

I can keep abreast of the clubs activities via the telephone and Richards’ excellent web site. I can also keep in touch with the cycling world in general thro’ the wonderful web. I have made contact with the local club and expect to do some time-keeping for them next year but – I do miss contact with my cycling “family” – the North Road. I was therefore really looking forward joining my friends at the club dinner – at the Homestead Court Hotel in Welwyn Garden City.

I drove up on Thursday to stay with friends in Datchworth. I made my usual stop for food at the Riverside Café at Benson in Oxfordshire. This café, which is alongside the Thames, is a magnet for west London bikies and is well worth a visit, being open 364 days a year. (You may wonder at my route from the SW. Needless to say it’s better than the boring M4/M25)

On arrival at the hotel I thought that I was going into a branch of John Lewis’, so similar was the building style, but once inside the warmth and atmosphere of the occasion enveloped me. Our hostess – giving out directions to the bar and the loos, in that order, greeted me!

I don’t know whether he was awaiting my arrival, but the first person to welcome me was our President, Andy, with Shena – and I felt very honoured. It was then a whirligig of old friends and acquaintances before we were called into a very smart room for the very good dinner. I felt privileged to be seated with the Thompsons, Kennedys, Dennises and Gil Martin, celebrated members all – plus Tim Lui and his friend.

It was a great turn out and, looking around at all the new(ish) members I was reminded of my first ever North Road Dinner in 1976. I was a young (not to be realised) pretender amongst the distinguished aristocracy of the Club such as Cecil Paget, Bill Frankum, Ted Kings, Ken Davis and, of course, the infamous Sewells ! I was in awe of the history and traditions of the club that I hope our new members are conscious of.

We had an excellent meal. A little, far too polite, cross toasting took place, (We really need to enlighten our new members in this tradition. There must be numerous amusing incidents on their training rides that could be shared with the rest of the Club), and the usual remembrances. We were then treated to Geoff Cooke, track coach, UK sprint representative in years past and fine orator.

Geoff has obviously had an extremely interesting and amusing life, including his involvement with a Channel 4 programme called “The Games”, involving B list celebrities competing in various sports. Apparently the bike racing took place at Welwyn track. I will never see Linda Lusardi in the same light again (if you weren’t there, you missed it and you will never know . . .). Please Geoff – if you are reading this – let us know when the 2006 edition is being filmed at Welwyn, so we can come along and watch, (or even help)!!

The slide-show assisted reply for the Club by Tony Bradford was great fun and covered the year comprehensively and amusingly. I particularly appreciated the idea of “it’s not the winning that counts, but taking your mates apart”. Relates to golf as well.

A disco dance completed this very fine evening. I am told that it was good but, being a misery, I retired to the lounge to continue chewing the cud with my old mates, and resolved to get on the bike in 2006 – once the weather improves, and as long as there aren’t too many grockles about, and I can find some flattish roads.