Following on from the successful Burns Night, with its Scottish flavour, Spaldwick Social Group was asked to lay on another supper and on this occasion it was very English. It’s the first time I’ve been to a meal celebrating St. George’s Day and how very fitting we should hold it in our own local, The George!
St George’s Day was celebrated on 23rd April 2014 and guests quickly filled the barn restaurant. Once everyone was seated, we were treated to live music from Poppy Hall (violin), Naomi Longhurst (flute) and Fergus Moran (drum); they played ‘Roast Beef of Old England’ as Chef paraded the beef into the dining room.
And that was just the start of the jollifications! Between courses, Lisa Hunter performed ‘Elizabeth’s Speech’ from 1588 with gusto and panache. John Lock read an historic piece by Winston Churchill that took us back to 1933 and, finally, we were treated to a quaint and funny monologue about George and the Dragon from Stuart Dixon.
We participated in a table quiz organised and marked by John Lock, with the winning team, the Dragons Den, knowing more about Prime Ministers and Cockney rhyming slang than the rest of us.
Raine Thompson and Alison Heath got busy selling raffle tickets (with boozy prizes of course) and then, you might not be surprised to hear, we all got singing! John Blatch had prepared backing music and song sheets so we had no excuses. With much hilarity, as even the most timid of singers were in voice (not necessarily in tune or in time), we enjoyed a chorus or two of Jerusalem and Land of Hope and Glory.
Amongst all the banter and excellent conversation, we ate a very good meal of roast beef with all the trimmings. It was probably the largest Yorkshire pudding I’ve seen in a long while and it topped a magnificent plate of tasty beef. And the surprises kept coming; dessert was a delicious jam roly poly, cunningly disguised as a treacle sponge, which filled any remaining corners.
Lucy Frain, Chair of the Spaldwick Social Group, kept the full house of 60 guests under control ensuring we all had a superb evening and it was indeed a very pleasant way to raise funds for the Spaldwick Scarecrow Competition and the Spaldwick Fete! For more information, visit our dedicated 2014 Spaldwick Fete page.
We would like to thank Steve Cooper for supporting our evening and allowing us to enjoy the hospitality of The George, en masse, once again. Staff were wonderful; those who served us in the dining room and those behind the bar all helped make our event a successful evening. Special thanks also go to Chef, who was a good sport.
View photos from the St George’s Day celebrations
To get in contact with the Social Group, please email socialgroup@spaldwick.com.
Yasmin Chopin, Publicity Co-ordinator