Beauty Parade

It used to be said that you had travelled well North of London if you passed a Morrison's supermarket. It's not so these days, but I felt something similar about Liverpool as I travelled through Norris Green with SWMBO last night.

We were going to Huyton and Prescott golf club for the new captains introduction as part of our inauguration into the Liverpool Society of Golf Club Captains. There are 27 clubs in the society and each new captain was accompanied by their current (2019) captain and their lady.

We had pre-order drinks, a pre-match handshake and then a team photo, one for the men and one for their ladies. We then sat down for a three course dinner and a couple of speeches after which each couple was announced and stood to take plaudits of their peers.

That was the easy part. After dinner the ladies were shepherded into one room and the gents into another. We had to appoint a secretary and treasurer, a name for the year group and a first informal meeting date. Those that know me will not be surprised that I was appointed secretary, and as 2020 captains, being called the visionaries should not be a surprise either. The optics got a few votes in second place. We will all convene as a group informally in Childwall towards the end of April. Childwall incidentally used the same clubhouse refurb company as Wallasey have engaged, and were very happy with the results.

The whole evening was funded by the 2019 captains, called The Eagles, to whom we were very grateful. The golf club staff were excellent and the clubhouse was a hidden gem, being the manor house of the old Hurst Estate owned and occupied by the Atherton family. I look forward to returning to play the course during my year in office.

So it now feels like the year has begun and I can see clearly now the way ahead!!!

The next time I see many of my year group will be at the Spring dinner when 6 or 7 captains are invited to attend as our guests. For most it will be the first time they will be wearing their red coats for which I had a fitting this morning. As a precursor to that dinner I look forward to an informal round of golf with the incoming captain of Royal Liverpool, who will be the visiting guest speaker on the night.