Putting on the Ritz

....and a jacket and tie, of course.

The First Lady & Captain after a good lunch in the early spring sunshine

The Vice Captain of Boats, 1 week prior to release from plaster prison

No biting. Grrrrrr....

The finest beef in N21.

Some photos of the weekend with the Campos, sans the Secretary, who had a prior engagement at a sleepover. As you can see, the Vice Captain of Boats is still sporting her plaster cast, the Treasurer a gum shield (a precaution insisted upon by the Captain) and the Captain a vintage WRC t-shirt from the Rogan era (pre-Crimewatch). As you may note, the Captain is defying the aging process as only he (and Grecian 2008) knows how, with his pre-birthday lunch at his club consisting of a large G & T, 2 bottles of wine, port and a Vesper Martini at the Ritz to finish us (no sorry, the lunch) off. Oh yes, and three courses of the club’s finest fayre. And a bowl and a half of nibbles at the Ritz.....

He wanted to be a diplomat, you know.

I blame the parents, myself

It seems scarcely possible to believe that the Captain has made it to his 39th birthday, which you will be delighted to know that he celebrates today. I mean, statistically, you would have thought he might have been “winged” once or twice in his high profile position on the front line, but perhaps defence psychiatry is a little less dangerous a profession than is painted by the Captain. Still, as the Captain will tell you (ad nauseum), he has survived the combined forces of the Mick, the Mad Mullahs, the Taliban and the Iraqi insurgents, not to mention the Hun who he encountered whilst in continental Europe. In fact, the closest he came to being shot was in Cyprus, where he asked for a Turkish coffee in down-town Larnaca, but that’s another story. Anyway, many happy returns of the day, Captain. Here’s hoping you make it to 40, at the very least.

Scruff Ahoy!

What do you do with a drunken sailor? Especially after the Melbourne Cup....

The spirit of Maria Hardy, who encouraged cross-dressing with menaces at Hawthorn Road in the 1970’s, is alive and well in the Colonies, as recent evidence from the Antipodean Ambassadress amply demonstrates. By the look of things, Captain Consul General is looking for scruffy pirates to make walk the plank. Let’s hope that the Vice Chairman smartens his act up, otherwise I fear for his long term future. Especially as and when Long John High Commissioner Sam catches up with him……

Get well soon Daisy

Don't be glum, Daisy. As a result of global warming (discuss), summer's just round the corner...

The Vice Captain of Boats & Treasurer, wisely photographed behind perspex. Let’s hope her injury it doesn’t interfere with her playing with her DS Lite

As the Captain could no doubt attest, were he not constantly on the make at the taxpayers expense, if a little winter sports is a bad thing, just imagine what would happen if the whole family started sporting body warmers in anger whilst watching Dancing On Ice and Ski Sunday over the weekend. Well, as self fulfilling prophecies go, the Chairman’s forecast of broken limbs at Swindon ice rink has unfortunately come to fruition, as our Vice Captain of Boats has sadly broken her arm whilst skating, resulting in her sporting a plaster cast on her left arm. Living proof, if any were necessary that if a little exercise for children is a bad thing, just imagine what damage a full exercise regime may result in on the delicate frame of our junior members, as the Antipodean Ambassador was only conveying to me the other day.....

Never mind the shoes, just look at that hat.

Franz Klammer eat your heart out

Members, friends, Romans, taxpayers and sportsmen.

You will be delighted to know that the Captain has returned from the RAF Skiing & Freeloading Championships in one piece, and would have confirmed as much earlier except he had been spending the last week polishing his medal for 20th place in the men’s downhill championships. As the Captain put it himself,

Chairman,

Just in case you thought I may have been fraudulently taking taxpayers money and not using it for earnest endeavors, I attach a photo of me coming 20th (out of 96) in the Fiacalle Downhill race at Winterglem, Austria. The race is the 'Adventurous Training' bit that justified all the freeloading apres-ski.....

Glad that’s all cleared up then

Kate Moss eat your heart out

The First Lady with her new Posh Spice-lite haircut

A scarf fit for the Witham

Love is....Club kit.

Don't worry about the scarf Tiger - you'll grrrrr-ow into it.

For members inspection, the Chairman is delighted to present items old & new from the Club wardrobe. In addition to the First Lady sporting her new Club zephyr, the Captain of Boats is sporting the WRC polo shirt from the 1994 kit order, whilst the Treasurer is sporting the bespoke WRC scarf commissioned by the Chairman from Luke Eyres, the collegiate sportswear supplier for the discerning. Should members require any kit not previously made available to purchase by the Chairman, please let him know and he will see what he can do. As the VC was saying to me only the other day, you can never be too well dressed, and he should know.

Cobblers to the Captain

" Nice shoes, Captian."

"Shut it."

As a self-confessed foot fetishist, in the main attributable to a love for beautiful footwear, my eyes are often drawn to peoples shoes, and imagine my surprise when I found the Captain wearing these beauties when we visited the Carterton for the New Year. I can offer not comment on the image other than that the last time I saw shoes like these was on the opening credits for The Sweeney, which is considered quite retro nowadays. As ever, the Captain has his finger on the sartorial pulse – what would we do without him?