Commodore's Cruise

Commodore's Cruise, Sunday 22nd February
Frank Rainsborough

Again, another clearly popular event! Thirty eight diners sat down to a 3 course lunch of soup, "posh bangers and mash" and "Mrs Bodgit's" apple crumble namely (in strict alphabetical order of surname!):- Liz Archer, Ken Ayers, Lyn and Mike Baker, Laurie Bridges, Richard Cannon, Peter and Georgina Clayton and two guests, Bryan Clements, Jean and Mike Hendra, Tony Hopkins, Pat Irving, Dave Jennings, Anne and Nigel Knowles, Ann and Frank Rainsborough with junior members Noah and Millie and another 9 of their family, Stuart Schafer, Louisa Spawls with Tim, Daniel and Mathew Hollands and Joan Walkden.

Master Chef Nigel 'Wallace' Knowles officiated in the galley, accompanied by galley slaves Anne 'Delia' Knowles, Pat 'Nigella' Irving and Ken 'Ramsey' Ayers, with further willing assistants who served, cleared up and washed up, namely, Joan Walkden, Jean Hendra and Liz Archer.

Rainsborough juniors

Some Rainsborough juniors

Picture by Frank Rainsborough

Well done all of you, it was an excellent three course meal, there was even a choice of items that could be chosen to make up the main course! ! Special thanks to Pat who also baked some splendid cakes for tea.

The Commodore Tony Hopkins thanked Nigel and his Team for the hard work that they had put in to prepare and present this excellent meal.

Tony went on to thank the Rainsborough Family, a contingent numbering 13, who'd arrived en masse for the event, but also to celebrate Ann Rainsborough's Birthday. A surprise cake was presented, and the traditional song was sung, but Ann is not saying how many times in her life so far, that it had applied to her!! In terms of numbers, the other family contingent, the Lunniss's of Simon & Oonie, Hanna, Robbie and Dominic, also deserves a mention, and particularly so because of their vital contribution to the day, about which, there is more below.

Bryan Clements then assembled the competitors for the 'Frostbite Cruise Treasure Hunt' event that was about to commence. Peter Clayton, with eight on board his cruiser ‘Cirrhosis of the River 11’, and Stuart Schafer, with 6 youths and 2 adults on board his cruiser ‘Cavatina’, together with the two club patrol boats skippered by Tony Hopkins and Bryan Clements, took some 30 young and not-so-young passengers to the downstream end of Taggs Island and back looking for the answers to a set of questions devised and set by Junior Quizmaster Hanna Lunniss, and helpers Simon and Dominic.

It was appropriate that Louisa Spawls' team in the Club Patrol Boat, skippered by Tony, won that quiz. (Appropriate because it's the Commodore's Cruise, remember?)

All having safely returned back to the warm Clubhouse, into which Gordon and Joan Courtney and visitors Jessica Ashworth and boy-friend Chris had since arrived, Senior Quizmaster 'Bamber' Baker had another quiz lined up.

Mike's 12 question quiz was 'How Well Do You Know Your River' and he had unearthed many items of interest, three of which I've extracted below, all relating to famous personalities connected to our stretch of the river.

Q5. Fred Wescott, by what more widely recognised name was he known by ?? A: Fred Karno.

Q6. Owner of 'Astoria' ?? A: David Gilmour. (Any AQSC Members not Pink Floyd fans?).

Q8. Who built a tunnel from Garrick's Villa (David Garrick, 18th century playwright, theatre manager and producer) A: Capability Brown.

Modesty forbids me from announcing the winning table!

For the earlier River Quiz, Hanna and her helpers had also set some very interesting questions, and on the upriver section, towards the finish, I was getting the hang of it! Feeling proud of myself that I also saw the the required answers, I've extracted below question numbers 28, 29 and 30, and the answers, that also appealed to my sense of humour!

Q: A clubhouse you wouldn't want to bank on A: The HSBC boathouse.

Q: Can you spy this boat? A: 'Cagey Bee',

Q: Pizza boat, 'Margherita' (both moored just downstream of AQSC Clubhouse).

All in all a thoroughly enjoyable day, and it ended by Tony thanking everybody who had made it a success, to all Members and all Guests, he said, ‘Thank You All!’