Saturday 25th April. I am invited to attend a
celebratory dinner in recognition of the 60th anniversary of Ewell
Rotary Club’s charter, and I brought the DG with me. We rarely attend Rotary functions on Saturday
evenings so this visit was something of a novelty for us. We set off in good
time because we had to first drop Daisy off at Linda’s who is to look after her
for the evening. Linda has been so good
to us in taking Daisy when we are out, that this evening I brought her a
bribe. Knowing that she likes rhubarb, I
picked a load of rhubarb from the garden and presented it to her, together with
a jar of rhubarb and ginger jam, made with my own fair hands.
Linda's bribe
We had to get to the smart Antoinette Hotel in Kingston for
7 p.m. and the last time I tried to drive in that direction there was a half
hour delay getting past the road works in Hampton. Fortunately, the roadworks
appear to be finished and we sailed through, arriving early at the Hotel. There
were no disabled parking spaces available in the Car park, so the DG suggested
we park astride two parking bays so that she could get out comfortably. I
looked around furtively as we got out of the car, but I think my transgression
went unnoticed by fellow guests.
The Antoinette Hotel Kingston
Ewell Rotary club have a French contact club, from Condé /
St Amand in Northern France, and several of their members were visiting this
weekend to join in the anniversary celebrations. Many Rotary clubs have ‘twins’
in other countries, which is an excellent way of fostering International
friendship and understanding, a Rotary ideal. Ewell club members visit
their French counterparts on alternate years, staying in the homes of Rotarians
for a weekend where they are entertained with excursions and fellowship by
their hosts. They then return the hospitality the following year. This weekend
was the occasion of one of these annual visits by the French club.
St Amand
When I left school, I could speak French pretty well, which
was a great advantage when crossing the Channel. I have always found it to be a charming
language when you can express yourself. The problem is that if you don’t go
there for several years, as in my case, you get a bit rusty. The vocabulary is
all there somewhere, but can be difficult to remember in the middle of a
conversation. Therefore, during our drive to Kingston, I rehearsed some French
phrases in the car which might stand me in good stead when I meet the French
Rotarians. Sadly, my knowledge of the
French language is more Del Boy than Charles Asnavour these days, although I
believe that if I spent a few weeks in France, it would all come back to me.
'Mange tout, Rodney'
As we entered the Hotel, we were greeted by Ewell Rotary
Club’s President Michael Shone, and I recognised a few people from the club who
I have met before. Andrew Ford worked with me on the 2014 Conference Committee,
and I knew Peter Yeates from my days at Brooklands College, as he did
a similar job at Nescot in Epsom, and we would meet up occasionally. John
Brewer is also a member at Ewell, and he would be providing one of his
excellent discos later in the evening. The DG knows far more people than I do
at these events, or perhaps I should say they know her. If she can’t remember
anyone’s name she just calls them ‘darling’ and always gets away with that.
The DG chats with John and Jackie Brewer
Soon it was time to take our seats, and I was gratified to
find myself on the top table, in very august company. As well as Michael Shone
and his lovely wife Sue, there was the mayor of Epsom and Ewell, councillor Robert Foote and
Mayoress Rosemary. Also on our table was the president of Conde / St Amand
Rotary Club Hubert Trannoy, who introduced his charming wife Veronique to
me. ’Enchanté,’ I said, thus getting off
to a very good start with our French visitors. I couldn’t think of anything to
say by way of continuing the conversation in French, so reverted to English,
and was relieved to find that most of our table companions understood it. There
was one exception, a lady called Martine, who spoke no English, so I started
rehearsing a few French phrases to say to her. This is, of course a dangerous
strategy, as the other person may say something in reply, then I will be stuck.
The dining room is ready
The French group had brought with them a Mexican girl, Gabi,
who was a Rotary Exchange student, staying for 12 months with a French family,
whilst attending a local College. What an amazing experience that must be for her. Youth Exchange is an
International Rotary scheme which Di King, wife of the RIBI President Peter
King is particularly passionate about. Our own club has never yet sponsored an
exchange student, and I started thinking that it’s about time we did. Although
the family Gabi was staying with had not come over this weekend, they thought
it would be a good experience for Gabi to come to England for the weekend with
the French Rotarians. She speaks several languages, including Spanish (of
course) French, English and a couple of others too, but I can’t remember what
they are.
Martine (left) with Gabi
The mayor proved to be very entertaining
company. An aircraft mechanic by profession, he told us about his hobby of restoring vintage motor cycles,
and is currently working on a 1950’s Arial motorbike. He is a dog lover, but as Rosemary wasn’t
very fond of dogs he didn’t actually own one. Naturally the DG showed him
photos of Daisy, and he said that Golden Retrievers were his favourite dog, and
if we ever needed a dog sitter we should call him. The two of them spent the rest
of the evening comparing notes on the triumphs and the tribulations of holding
high office, the respective weight of their chains of office, and how to keep
smiling whenever a camera is pointed at them. I gave them an opportunity to put
this into practice.
The DG with mayor Robert Foote
As you would expect, there were a few speeches on this
auspicious occasion, and Michael Shone spoke about the history of Ewell Rotary
club, the activities they have been involved in, and also paid tribute to their
French guests. His speech was delivered in short segments, which were then
translated into French by Peter Yeates. I was most impressed with Peter’s
command of French, and how he spoke it like a native. On behalf of his club, Hubert then delivered a speech in
French, which was translated into English by Peter. Hubert then presented Michael with a
gift from his compatriots, which was a beautiful book containing prints of
paintings by a French painter, it might have been Monet.
Michael Shone (left) receives a gift from Hubert Trannoy
Greetings were also brought from Waterlooville Rotary Club,
who had a representative at the dinner, and a banner from them was formally
handed over. To my surprise, there were also greetings from Buckingham Palace.
Apparently Tom Drake, on behalf of the club, had written to the Queen to send the
club’s greetings to her on the occasion of the 60th anniversary of
their Charter. An official at Buckingham Palace, on behalf of the Queen, wrote
back to congratulate the club on its’ anniversary, and wishing them well. This
seems an excellent idea for getting Royal recognition of a special occasion,
and I must bear that in mind for the next significant anniversary of our club.
The DG with mayoress Rosemary Foote
It was a very enjoyable evening, the food was excellent with smoked salmon followed by roast beef,
then sticky toffee pudding. What is there not to like about that? I actually
got two starters as the DG didn’t fancy her smoked salmon, and the wine
certainly flowed. Andrew Ford, who is a professional photographer, took an
official portrait of us after dinner. As dancing to the John Brewer Sound got
under way we took our leave and headed home, with the DG driving this time.
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