Sussex Branch Annual BBQ 2009
by Malcolm Webb, National Vice-Chairman - August 2009
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First and foremost a monumental ‘THANK YOU’ to Les and Janet Searle, and family, for a really wonderful BBQ and evening out. Apart from games and machinery to try it was a time to catch up with old acquaintances and make new ones too.
There were rides on a trailer pulled by a steam traction engine. What fun travelling around Horsham in daylight and again at night, waving to all the revellers in the town, seeing the shocked faces of motorists as we passed by. Laughing at all the soot being poured out of the chimney as the engine started and pulled away. Coming back with soot spots on our faces and clothing, not that anyone was worried about how they looked, as we were all having too much fun. A steam bus ride, especially the night ride over the cobbled streets of the town, was a wonderful history lesson for the children. There was a beautiful, restored Rolls Royce car that had us dreaming of bygone days. These models may not have the speed and all the modern gadgets of today’s cars but, boy, they had class. |
I will just list a few more of the items to play with that were scattered around as I do not wish to make anyone jealous! A bouncy castle, which was thoroughly enjoyed by our chefs (of course the fun may have been fuelled by the odd alcoholic tipple)!! It did look fun though. A rope pulling game with frogs (it’s called frog racing! And they were wooden cut outs, not real frogs) that the children managed to beat me at every time. A micro digger next to a tank full of water and a bucket on a chair. The object being to fill said bucket with water A.S.A.P. This was a special favourite with the younger ones as well as the ‘bigger kids’ too!! A game of rat and bat, but I think the funniest one of the evening was the bicycle that nobody could ride. Natural instinct is to turn the handlebars the way you want to go but with this bike it worked the opposite way. This definitely was one that the big boys played on most.
The Leach and Overington Concert Organ, which is thought to be the largest mechanical organ built in the UK, started life in 1982 and was finally completed in 1999. Housed in a Bedford TK vehicle which has been completely rebuilt with a purpose built body to house and display the organ. The music was a delight to us all while we sat and wined and dined.
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The gastronomic range was yet another wonderful sight. Five types of BBQ meats, with so many accompanying dishes one had a job deciding on what to have. This was followed by a range of desserts to die for (Not going near the scales for the next week for sure!). A wonderful raffle that, I think, raised £600.00 for the Sussex Air Ambulance, such a good cause. Well done to everyone who brought this evening together for us to enjoy, which we certainly did.
Note from Margaret Webb On the evening £300.00 was raised by the raffle which was tremendous. My daughter Jo, who ran the raffle, works for Legal & General and, as an employee, is entitled to claim a certain amount of money for charity from them. Legal & General have matched the £300.00 we raised therefore the total we will be presenting to the Sussex Air Ambulance will be £600.00. |