Happy gathering of SDC members over Old Salopian Weekend

From the Chairman Miles Preston: Salopian Day this year was on 14th September, earlier than usual.

As is now the established practice, SDC members parked their cars on Central around Darwin’s statue. This time we had an eclectic selection of twenty-one cars and one motorbike for Salopian Club members and current pupils to inspect.



Members moved on to watch the unveiling of the new flagpoles at the end of the fives courts before going to Quod for a larger than usual gathering for lunch.

At 2pm the Club’s AGM took place in the Moser Library, with 20 members present. The business was concluded in about half an hour, freeing members to take part in the numerous other events going on across the Site.

Turnout of SDC members at the dinner on Saturday was lower than usual, with only nine at our table, but those who were there seemed to have a good time and the food was very good, as always. It is very generous of the School to fund this excellent dinner, at which one hundred and forty-nine people were present this year.

Sunday heralded Grant Charlesworth-Jones’s scatter event, which went really well in spite of the fact that the beautiful weather of the previous day had turned wet. We gathered at Grant’s new home in Kennedy Road at 10am for bacon and sausage rolls and coffee. It was very generous of Grant to welcome us into his house when he has just embarked on a substantial refurbishment project.

At 11am we set off in search of ten different locations Grant had lined up for us to find. Who knew that Wilfred Owen lived on Monkmoor? Who knew that there are three fire hydrants on the Atcham side of the old bridge there? I didn’t!

We all made it to the Lion and Pheasant by the English Bridge for an excellent lunch at 1.15pm and were able to head for our respective homes at 3pm.


 

Typically, Grant had thought of various unusual awards so a number of those present ended up with prizes (ranging from a car fire extinguisher to a tyre pressure gauge to bottles of wine and a small packet of tic tacs!).

Our next big event is the Winter Dinner at Leander Club in Henley-on-Thames on 21st February, at which all members and their partners and guests will be most welcome.

So far, twenty-eight people have signed up. There is still room for a few more so if you are interested in coming to it, please email me at [email protected] .