Easter Tour 1998 - Selby, 2nd - 5th April
The tour held in the Selby area on 2nd - 5th April, got off to an unfortunate start for the hard-core drinkers of the society when they discovered that the pub they were due to meet in had no real beer. Thwaite's Smooth for all. Stress mounted as the Secretary discovered that there was nobody to meet her at the church hall. All was locked and barred. People sat around their mobile phoned eagerly waiting for that all important phone call, and an hour later the hall was opened. Not that it mattered much for the people in the pub who were settling down for a long cosy lock-in.
Friday started well with the sun shining, and relatively few casualties from the night before. The towers were 'really village' (you know what we mean, Karen?), and the ringing was surprisingly good, 8-spliced being rung on two seperate occasions. According to ancient tradition, a 3-hour lunch break followed, where people were treated to Paul professing to have 'changed' - for the better or worse remains to be seen. After one tower and a lock-out (quite welcomed due to the change in weather) we headed back to a pub recommended by that fine publication The Good Beer Guide, politely declining an invitation to join the local line dancing group at the church hall. The pub seemed friendly with the landlord allowing us to eat takeaway pizzas while watching the locals playing an intense game of dominos.
Saturday was a frantic rush for the organisers of the Grand National sweep stake, while the 'changed' Paul organised an alternative swwep stake for a different kind of filly. The meeting to organise the forthcoming 40th annual dinner was rushed through so that people could listen to the all-important England-Ireland match as there was a distinct lack of pubs to watch it in. A couple more towers, with the Grand National in between, and then back to the hall for a brief cup of tea before heading pubwards. The karaoke proved to be excellent fun, but the nught turned sour towards the end when various members discovered that personal items had gone 'walk-about'. We wern't impressed.
After losses of the previous night, we were comforted by Sunday morning ringing being 'as usual'. The vicar was also comforted to find Malcolm with all his clothes on. After the fond farewells, we all went our seperate ways with the Cardiff students heading for the Bar Snack Capital of the world - Ashby de la Zouch. The results of the alternative sweep stake have yet to be announced.
Here's to the summer tour!
Market Weighton, Yorks. 2 Apr, 1280 Bristol D Major: Linda Beard 1, Susan Watson 2, David Beard 3, Paul Lewis 4, David Kirkaldy 5, Malcolm Murphy 6. Birthday compliment to Darren Moore.
