Beautiful hot sunny weather for the whole weekend, no rain at all. Almost heatwave conditions, but with light cooling E winds. Brilliant turnout as usual, - 24 boats (including 3 new members) + 2 cars.  7 teams (each of 2 to 6 persons) took part in the games on the Saturday, and over 40 members and guests attended the weekend.

Most of us arrived by Friday lunchtime, 22 in all, some having been there a few days, all boats nicely tucked up along the quay. Many already “dressed” with flags and lights, making a lovely backdrop for the weekend. We enjoyed usual chats and drinks outside our boats until lunchtime, and then started to erect all 4 pop-up gazebos, with lots of members helping under the supervision of Dave. These provided shelter for the committee meeting and prepare for the Saturday events. Committee meeting started a little late at 4.45pm, (my fault - I was delayed by late delivery of new domestic batteries – more expense!). The meeting was attended by ALL 10 officers and committee members and went well, being all over by 6pm. A few members went to the Cod House and brought fish ‘n chips back to eat on their individual boats, including me, but Jen and I also popped into the Fox & Hounds Social club, checking on details of their recent closure. All is now well, and our Laying-up buffet dance is still on!

Saturday Hot and sunny again, after a strangely cold night. We left the gazebos’ fronts wide open again for the whole day. until the evening, and then set out the prize tables and brought in our tables/chairs. Bim and John set up the band area in one corner. The social committee worked tirelessly putting up the interior decorations and preparing for the prize raffle, well done the ladies! We set out the games area at about 2.30pm and invited all to attend, but actually didn’t start until nearly 3.30pm. 7 teams entered, all with plenty of support from their friends and other members, sitting around the designated playing “field”. There were four games (heats) in all, including Bim’s new game, “Commodore’s keys”. All games conducted with great fun and effort, and they were all completed by 4.30pm, allowing me plenty of time to “compute” the scores before starting the raffle at 5pm. The winning team (on 68 points) emerged as “Marham Marauders” (Colin/Pip and Rachel, plus Mike and Denise). 2nd. were the “Dykes” (don’t ask?) (on 63) and 3rd were old favourite “Winkle” (on 61). All competitors were given a standing ovation, and the winners were presented with the prestigious “Paul Hodgson” trophy. Whilst this was going on, Bob (El Presidente!) was looking along the quay for the best dressed boat award. It was a close-run thing between the 2 adjacent Sheerlines of “Pizzazz” and “Eirlys” but the vote went to Peter, and Bob awarded him a rare bottle of “Chateau Leedel” champagne. Well done, Peter! (And good effort from John and Sandra) Back to the playing field, and the start of the raffle, with Bob calling out the chosen tickets and winners rushing into the gazebos, where Angela oversaw the secondary raffle for the actual prize selection. There were so many prizes that this carried on for half an hour or more before we all scattered back to our boats to start our BBQ’s around 5.30pm. It was still in lovely sunshine, but now cooled by an easterly wind that suddenly blew up. After finishing their meals, members gathered in the gazebos from 7.30 onwards, over 40 or so were in the end. Bim started the bingo just before 8pm – deciding that the raffle had done so well in collecting £148 for club funds and it was not necessary to charge for the bingo. Malcolm got the first line of bingo, winning some biscuits. Emily got 2 lines, a bottle of wine, and followed that with the full house, winning a gift set. Jackie then gave us teams a short, sharp quiz – 15 general knowledge questions in all – which was won by team “Sink or Swim” (new members Wally Webb and family, ably assisted by Bob and Norma). Ray’s team were last, including Emily again, and won a consolation prize. All games over by 8.45pm, and time for the music and songs of Bim & John, with plenty of dancing until late in the evening. Even Bob was welcomed on stage for a few guitar numbers and songs early on. Proceedings came to end just before 10.30 – we didn’t want to annoy the residents and blot our copybook – and we all helped to clear up before returning to our boats. It had been a lovely evening, as always.

Sunday was another fine day, and about half of the boats prepared to return to base from late morning onwards. Most members pitched in to dismantle 3 of the gazebos, leaving one gazebo for members’ use, those who were staying at “Becclesdorm” for the next few weeks. We then had great fun in “walking” that gazebo closer to the office, on the green outside. The dismantled gazebos were put back on Dave’s boat for storage, and then boats began to move off around lunchtime, except for those “holidaymakers” who were staying for the remainder of August.

It had been another successful club weekend.

Ken      August 2022