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The details of the 40th HMC dinner are given below. They are not yet available on the main HMC website
The Hertfordshire Mountaineering Club started in Stevenage Old Town in 1958. To celebrate the club's 40th anniversary, the usual Annual Dinner was combined with a 40th anniversary dinner, and held in Tewin, Hertfordshire. The venue was Tewin local village hall, on Saturday 18th April 1998. The hall was chosen because of its flexibility in terms of numbers (max. 100) and arrangements. A bar was also planned to be available. On the afternoon of the 18th, Doreen Goodey and some of the committee members set up the tables, the PA system, the pictures and the slide display, ready for the evening. The photographs were set up in the Bar area, together with a continuous play projector, on which we showed slides of the old members. This caused some amusement, especially trying to recognise the members in their earlier youthful days. James Bedford, of Casino Caterers, Letchworth, arrived at about 4.30pm, to start to prepare the meal for the evening (and an excellent meal it was too). The balloon lady arrived at the same time, with 24 helium filled blue balloons, and the flowers for the tables. Graham of the Goat also arrived to set up the bar, which we thought was arranged to start at 5pm. Wrong. He was not returning till 6.30pm (about 7pm in reality), so we were in for a sober AGM, which is why it went smoothly and quickly. At about 4.50pm, an abundance of members (I jest) arrived for the 1998 AGM, which started at 5pm, but we still had a quorum. Previous minutes were discussed, the chairman gave his report, the treasurer explained how he had cooked the books. and Committee members were elected for the following year. The AGM finished at 6pm, and some thirsty members went next door to the pub, to celebrate their election to the committee (as the bar people had still not arrived). Jim Curran arrived during the AGM, and left some books and video's in the bar area, for sale later, before going off to Doreen's mums to get changed. People for the dinner started arriving before 7pm, and the bar was quickly buzzing, with some members meeting for the first time after 20 odd years. Luckily the meal was delayed until 8.30pm, giving everyone plenty of time to relax and chat to people they had not seen for ages. Many members looked the same, but a few had enjoyed their lives, and had put on the odd couple of pounds So the evening progressed. An excellent meal was followed by speeches by Michael Baldwin, the outgoing chairman, and Jim Curran the guest speaker. Unfortunately there was not time for any speeches from other current and ex-members. However everyone seemed to be quite happy chatting to their fellow table companions, and assaulting the bar, causing some frustration to the A 40th cake had also been delivered earlier in the day, made by a friend of Doreen's, and an excellent cake too, with crags and climbers around the edges, and skiers on top. During the evening it fell to Dave Nicholson, having been a continuous member since 1970, to cut the cake. As usual, it was left to Doreen and some of the committee members to clean up the hall, take down the PA system, slide projector, photo displays, table clothes, etc, etc..
For posterity, there follows a list of the current and ex-members who attended the 40th Anniversary dinner.
Albert Sillwood, |
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For more info about the HMC, see
the
main HMC website,
or send an email to the Secretary at
thehmc.co.uk |
