Dinner @ Wrag Barn

Not long ago, when April was here and England was green again, there was an unexpressed but tangible sense of longing in the Kennet Valley Hash for some sort of celebration. But what could we celebrate ? The fact that we have been in existence for 17 years and two months is impressive but does not have the same ring to it as, say, a golden jubilee. Luckily the problem was solved by Brian who, being a perceptive and decisive sort of chap, announced that there would be a Hash Dinner on May the 8th and that we didn’t need an excuse.

So everyone dressed up in DJs and posh frocks and on Friday 8th May we enjoyed an excellent formal dinner at Wrag Barn Golf Club near Highworth. It was fun. We gathered in the main bar for a few pre-prandial pints and cries of “ooh” and “aah” as all the immaculately dressed hashers arrived. It would, of course, be unfair to mention anyone in particular but Gentleman James did look absolutely immaculate in his white dinner jacket. The setting for our dinner this time was rather different from our earlier dinners which were all in cosy rooms at the back of pubs. This time we sat in a very light and airy room looking out over a sunlit golf course and sat at three large round tables. Kathy had prepared a seating plan and every seat was marked with a beautifully written card with our names and our three menu choices. This was fine for the first course but then somebody decided that we all had to move round two or three spaces at the end of each course so you could talk to someone new.

We had a lovely meal which was served by an unobtrusive and efficient staff after which GOM made a short speech thanking those who had contributed to the evening – and then we had the cabaret. Our cabaret acts were of course outstandingly good and you had to be there – but here, briefly, is what it was like. Navy Mike bravely went first with a deeply moving song about someone losing their winkles and then, to lighten the mood, a romantic song about the Rose of Tralee. Maurice then told stories and read a poem in a Rap style of delivery about the hash and its personalities which made everyone laugh. The next act was something completely different: David and Sue sang and played (we borrowed the golf club piano) music by Noel Coward. Sue is a brilliant pianist and is a trained singer and David can sing a bit so the result was highly entertaining. Our GOM Brian then sang/recited the humorous song/story about the workman and the barrel of bricks. And as the grand finale Viv and John took charge of a bit of community singing of a song that they had written (about our hash naturally) which we all joined in.

After the cabaret people sat chatting and moving round each of the tables to talk to everybody and then quietly began to drift away. It was a lovely evening – thank you Brian and Kathy for your hard work in organising it.

Postscript from GOM

I just wanted to say how much I enjoyed being with you all for the evening. Thanks to all of you.