Is that a giant I see before me?

Ruby, ready for a (rough) towelling down

Where’s Chief Brody when you need him?

For your inspection, here is the latest picture of Ruby, kindly forwarded by the Vice Chairman this morning. Ruby is obviously bracing herself for a testing session in the surf, but let us hope that she does not fall foul of the “sea monsters” in much the same way as her Father, Don Quixote-Carter did when he dashed from ther sea having spotted a "shark" in the near vicinity, only to discover that it was, in fact, a dolphin.

The Peoples Republic of Witham

Chairman Maoward

Courtesy of my chums at the New Sheridan Club (aka “the lodge”), who made the offer of adding an image of members to a classic picture “using science”, I am delighted to present to you your Chairman as Chairman Mao, the second moist notorious Chairman in history, and a darned sight less autocratic, I’m sure you will agree.

It is your Chairman’s wish that a portrait such as this should appear in every house he visits, and by left-clicking on the image, you can save the image to print out at home in order that in some way, the Chairman will always be watching over you and keeping you sharp and alert so you may ably contend with for the rigours of modern life with which fate presents us. And if you think that I’m autocratic, remember that the alternative is the Vice Chairman, whose sense of tyranny knows no bounds.

Bedlam in Bedrock? Not with RAF logistics.....

They're on the move

Rock on

The Chairman is delighted to note that the Campion’s are moving today to Rock Close in Carterton, where I’m sure they will be very happy. We hope they have a yabba dabba doo time, (a dabba doo time) in their new house.

Tempus Pro Haveagayoldtimeio

12 months is a long time in Leicester....

Lockers's engagement ring on Sunday (and on her hand)

February 2006, Leicester

Welsh Dave after his haircut

"Is it OK to marry your daughter"?

Members will be delighted to note that the former housemate and nuptial attendant of the Vice Chairman and Chair of the Wines & Spirits Committee is now in the throws of arranging her own nuptial celebrations, as “Jobless” Lockley is to be married to Welsh Dave this December. Welsh Dave has celebrated the occasion by purchasing a new pair of trainers and by having his hair cut, so he is obviously keen, a good sign if there ever was one. The engagement took place in the Peak District atop a hill, the question initially being met with hysterical laughter. Lockers then said yes, and jumped on top of her fiancé – I’m sure she won’t mind me mentioning this. Quite a celebration indeed.

As promised to the Cox & CWSC, I photographed the ring for your inspection, which I am delighted to reproduce here. I would have taken something vaguely resembling an engagement portrait, but Jobless has just had her gaul bladder out (the result of too much French wine in her youth) and even your Chairman respects the decencies of the situation and does not photograph a lady without her face on .

The best of luck to them both – your Chairman for one considers them to be ideally suited, and did from the first time he met the man previously known as Ralph Little.

38 years young

The Captain, celebrating at the Angel at Henley, 1991.

Many happy returns of the day to the Captain of Boats, who hopes to celebrate 38 gloriously foolish years on this planet today by “completing” on his first house purchase. We wish both the Captain and the Treasurer the very best of luck in these matters, and hope that the next 38 years of his life are enjoyed with the same attitude, with laughing danger in the face and deer hunting with his dog continuing to be very much the order of the day.

Vivat Captain!

Swimming with the fishes – A weekend with the Godparents (secular and spiritual)

The Captain brought a pin badge....

The Campo's relaxing at Howards End


Molly & Daisy enjoying "Fahitas" with the Chairman & First Lady

Daisy & Liz at McDonald's on the South Bank

The Mollster, tagged in case of loss

Careful child, or you will be playing with the fishes....

The Captain after a very good lunch, wearing his We Will Rock You" badge

Some would say that to see the Captain once in a week would be unfortunate, and to see him twice would be downright careless, but I’m not of that school. However, this occasion presented itself this week when the Campo’s came to stay last weekend in order for Ben & Bev to bond with the Chameleons Hockey Club (ex-RAF Akrotiri) whilst watching We Will Rock You, resulting in the Chairman & First Lady being in loco parentis for 26 hours 13 minutes. We all managed to survive, the experience, although I think both Liz and I would think twice about feeding the Mollster full fat caffeinated Coke before a testing tube journey back form central London. Daisy almost not getting off the train at our home station was another potentially hazardous occasion we managed to avert, but the all was forgiven after a very large G & T to calm the Chairman’s nerves and a good nights sleep.


So, to the Captain’s club for his official 38th birthday lunch on Thursday, which was a typically splendid affair. The Captain merrily demolished the veal, preceded by marinated salmon and followed with a large offering from the cheese trolley, which seemed strangely apt. The Chairman had similar, although not in so large a quantity, and satisfactorily managed to avoid insulting a waitress, which the Captain singularly failed to do, by firstly suggesting that she was firstly Polish and then East German (she was, in fact from the West of the land of the Hun). Old habits die hard, as they say in the Witham.


The Captain will be 38 on February 23rd. His birthday party is being sponsored by Grecian 2000.

Daisy Bailey

Daisy & her Chairman

Birthday balloons

A microwaveable bear


A fabric bag stuffed with the off-cuts from the Chairman's pink cords

Give a child a camera, and watch the inner artist come to the fore. By thy work should the be judged, so here are Daisy’s photographs taken on her official birthday weekend – a student of the close-up movement, methinks.

The First Lady & I are Campo-sitting at Howard’s End this weekend whilst B & B book into a B & B for a bonding weekend in the Metropolis with members of their hockey club. I don’t know whether Molly & Daisy have been to the dogs before, but there’s a first time for everything (apart from rowing and homosexuality, of course)

Tempus Pro Rubyio

Come on Daddy - out with the Frazzles. Ruby with her wine at a vineyard

I prefer English wine myself

Pretty in pink - Ruby & the VC in an un-ironed t-shirt

It’s always good to put a picture of our most recent club member on the blog, and you would presume we have the Vice Chairman to thank for his deft camera work, as is usually the case. However, on this occasion you would be mistaken, because the VC has been so slack in his duty to the blog that the Chairman has had to have recourse on this occasion to the photographs of his envoy, Shteeeeve. So we present once again for your inspection Ruby, on this occasion enjoying a hectic day’s wine tasting with the VC, CWSC & the Mulholland’s in sunny South Australia. Shteeeeve said the hospitality was splendid, but that the towels left something to be desired………..

Not much beats dressing to excess

Up a bit, Tiger!


Mind the Gap - The Treasurer, with the Secretary in the foreground

In addition to being a demon cake baker, Tiger Campo is a renaissance woman par excellence as amply demonstrated recently by not only her finesse at ice skating at the weekend, but also in the commissioning of the Chairman’s new Boden trousers (as mentioned on Howard’s Way). These are being released into the community this weekend for a chum’s birthday breakfast at the Wolseley on Saturday, breakfast being the new dinner in London these days, although they may only be saved for special occasions for reasons you may consider do not bear repeating.