Cheats Christmas Lunch

This years CCL was organised by Rodger & Linda Wheeler and was held on Sunday 11 December in the club house. Many thanks to John Panting for the following account of the event ……

It’s not often that you arrive for a Christmas meal before Christmas arrives; but at Aquarius anything can happen.

As Brenda and I negotiated the downhill ramp from the car park the safety boat was speeding towards the clubhouse. On closer inspection it was being helmed by our Commodore Roger, with Competent Crew Linda at the ready. The cargo was the piping hot seasonal fayre. Its local journey had started the previous Wednesday at Tesco. This shopping spree, I understand, being supported by much calculation regarding portion size multiplied by anticipated attendance and factoring wastage etc.

It is understood that there is no obligation upon the Commodore to prepare this meal and I am unsure as to how Roger and Linda were selected for the task. However, I assume it follows the basic rule, “If you want something done, then give it to a busy person”. Busy people had already been at their tasks preparing tables and chairs and would no doubt later be clearing things away.

So coats off, wine on order, quick chit chat, bottoms on seats and already the soup is on the table. Now on such occasions the meal is the star of the show; and so it was in quality and quantity, including crackers enough and sauces in abundance. Later there was ample for the droves that could muster strength and space for seconds.

Time sped by, punctuated by attempts to serve an offering of a completed quiz paper. In the event someone has to win the quiz, but I can’t remember what table achieved and received this honour. (Possibly I had too much to drink or one of the other influences on my grey matter played its part). I could blame the plethora of well deserved toasts but that seems inappropriate and unkind. So instead it would be more accurate and correct to reflect how satisfied and grateful the diners were for this magnificent effort and result.

So please be upstanding,

“THE CHEATS CHRISTMAS LUNCH”.

I have no fear that we will be back next year.

John Panting

Cheats Christmas lunch prepare and clear up team. Picture by Frank’s Rainsborough