Dinner time

The Annual dinner season has now kicked off big style. recently I have attended at Lee Park, Jewish club which still says grace in Hebrew, and where one of the toasts is to the State of Israel, but the first big ball was at heswall where I was accompanied by my youngest daughter Emma, as SWMBO was away. The Bromborough dinner dance followed not long after so at last I was able to take SWMBO out in one of her posh frocks. The Cheshire centenary dinner then followed at Mere. The ambiance was good but sadly the entertainment was a bit lacking which took the edge of the event really.

The Visionaries have continued to get together with recent visits to Southport and Ainsdale (bit wet), Woolton, where the pre match bottle of wine did not do the golf much good,  Childwall and Wigan. Wigan was the last of the 27 society courses I had left to play and what a joy it was. The clubhouse is an old abbey, Arley Hall, which one can imagine as a gentleman's club type of  clubhouse in the day. Now it is very welcoming and warm while maintaining its plush interior. it has a moat around it with black swans swimming merrily. In the day women were not allowed over the bridge on Saturdays, and there is a tale of a member physically carrying his wife back onto dry land so to speak. That must be why they all marry small ladies!!

This week is a big one for me as we have our rescheduled Spring dinner, the 'Spring into Autumn' dinner  which I host. I will make my first formal speech to the members and then sit ack and listen to the responses. That is preceded by the Liverpool Society of  Golf Captains dinner in central Liverpool where 300 aged gentlemen will be shuffling round the city centre looking like circus ring masters. Let's hope the entertainment is a bit better at that event.

I have then very kindly been invited to Birkenhead Rugby Club  on Saturday for the Chairman's birthday celebrations. I think the liver might need a break after that!!

Photo bombed

The last golfing commitments have flown by but happily in more pleasant weather. I entertained a friend from Ireland who has been very good to the family over the years, and he loved the Wallasey experience. Unfortunately I lost 2 & 1 but the craic as they say was excellent.

Next day was a trip to Caldy to play before the scratch match. That was another narrow defeat on the 18th green, and the trend continued as I lost my Summer pairs match with partner Pete, also on the 18th green.

I then started to do a bit of globe trotting, playing at Llangollen in Wales and another defeat,  before playing at Sandiway with three very low handicap players. Wallasey managed to get a half out of our match but lost 6-2 overall. Tommy Fleetwood, the tour pro followed us round and gave us a master class in how to play the 18th!!

In between all the golf though, I had a chance to put my best kit on and present some prizes, and no, the prize was not a table!!

  ....and with technology getting the better of me, there are odd sized images showing the presentation of the 2020 Captains prize to Ian Jenkinson who also won in 2014, and Neil Self winning the Frank Stableford Senior Open, a 36 hole England golf competition. Ian then went off to play in the England Senior Amateur Championships as did many of the Wallasey attendee's

My latest set of  jaunts ended with a very enjoyable Salver Day at Lee Park golf club, a Jewish club to the South of Liverpool , and an invitation day to Heswall on the Wirral. I think we ended up mid-table in both, in no small part to my poor putting.

So next week is looking a bit quieter, although I am sure there will be some new drama's to keep everybody riveted to their seats until next time.