FIRST - CHECK OUT THESE SLIDES - THEY DESCRIBE US WELL
We Are
THE GENTLEMENS ALE SAMPLING SOCIETY
MEETINGS
To see what MEETINGS ARE COMING UP, scroll down on this page.
To read what happened at previous meetings click 'MINUTES OF MEETINGS' on the button below.
THE NEXT MEETINGS.....
THE 2026/27 MEETINGS CALENDAR
The successful and fair system of allocating meetings to two members per month to arrange,
with a split of 3 Awaydays, 4 Entertainment, 4 Pub meetings and 1 AGM in September,
and a bias to holding more pub meets in winter, more awaydays in Spring & Summer.
THE BIG CHANGE IS THAT THERE IS NOW ONLY £900 FROM THE FUND FOR EACH MEETING.
AGREED AT THE AGM TO PREVENT BANKRUPTCY. YOUR £40 IS FOR MEMBERSHIP.
EXPECT TO PAY A SUPPLEMENT AT MOST MEETINGS.
ALSO - TO REDUCE THE COST OF EACH MEETING WINE AT THE TABLE IS NO LONGER PAID FOR BY GASS
GASS PAYS FOR BEERS, SPIRITS AND SOFT DRINKS ONLY THROUGHOUT EACH EVENING.
OCTOBER
GARY & IAN - PUB
THE ROSE & CROWN, HARTLIP
Dinner meeting in a private room. .
NOVEMBER
ANDY & WAYNE - ENTERTAINMENT
TRACKMAN
The Ridge Golf Club - play games on Trackman
DECEMBER
OWEN & RON - AWAYDAY - £900
CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS - CLICK HERE
JANUARY
LEN & JOHN - PUB - £900
FEBRUARY
STEVE - ENTERTAINMENT - £900
MARCH
NICK & PHIL - AWAYDAY - £900
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS - CLICK HERE
APRIL
HUGH & STYART - PUB - £900
MAY
RAY & PETE - ENTERTAINMENT - £900
JUNE
CHRIS & BRIAN - AWAYDAY - £900
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS - CLICK HERE
JULY
GRAHAM - ENTERTAINMENT - £900
AUGUST
TONY - PUB - £900
SEPTEMBER. AGM
DON'T FORGET TO CHECK OUT THE MINUTES OF THE MEETINGS - CLICK HERE
NEW MEETING RULES 2026/27
As unanimously agreed at the AGM we split into pairs and arrange a meeting each.
You have £900 for each meeting. This is to prevent our massive overspend.
We have 19 members @ £40 = £9,100 income. We were spending £11,900 on meetings!!! Crazy!!!
Membership stays at £40. Members who actually attend a meeting must expect to pay a surcharge.
If you under-spend on your meeting, return the remaining money to Ron.
If you estimate you will go over (which will be most meetings) guess at the surcharge and put it on Whatsapp.
All members attending pay the pre-agreed surcharge.
If you fuck up on the night and run out of cash, members chuck into a kitty to cover the overspend.
Entertainment, Food, Beers, & Single Spirits go on the GASS bill.
WINE IS NO LONGER PAID FROM GASS FUNDS, BUY YOUR OWN WINE. THIS IS TO REDUCE MEETING COSTS.
Annual Budget: £40 per head per month. 19 members = £9,100
3 Awadays @ £900, 4 Entertainment @ £900, 4 Pub @ £900 = £9,900
A manageable overspend, especially if we have a couple of cheap meetings.
WANT TO KNOW WHAT WE DID IN YEARS GONE BY?
THEN CLICK THE RED BUTTON BELOW
AND HEAD OVER TO MEETINGS HISTORY
A complete list of past meetings
WANT TO KNOW WHAT
HAPPENED AT OUR
LAST FEW MEETINGS?
THEN CLICK THE BEIGE BUTTON BELOW
AND HEAD OVER TO 'THE MINUTES'
The actual minutes of each meeting
AND IF YOU HAVE TIME - CHECK OUT SOME MORE SLIDES
We Are Occasional
SCOTSMEN
ABOUT GASS
The Gentleman's Ale Sampling Society was formed in 1982 and started life as 20 blokes getting together on the first Tuesday of every month to have a beer and invest a little money on the stockmarket. Invest being a relative term, maybe just 'lose' money on the stockmarket might be a better description. After one share crash or another the point of GASS changed to become simply a good excuse for the guys to do something different every month, as long as it was fun and as long as it also involved beer and food and each others company.
Having been doing it now for 44 years we must be doing something right. This website is for our members. It tells us what we are doing next and it reminds us of what we did last month and the months before. This is a new website started in 2018. If you want to see the old website for some real history, back to 2006, go to the button at the top of the homepage.
GASS MEMBERS OVER THE YEARS
1982-2025
Names in Brown = The Current Members
Names in White = Members who have left GASS but shown in the year they originally joined
THE GASS ROLE OF HONOUR
1982 - Nick Jenkins, John Brice, Brian Henslow, Chris Spree, Steve Bell
EX: Philip Henslow (RIP), Paul Trumper, Mike Hollis, Peter Dyke, Mike Dakers (RIP), Don Harris (RIP), George Pixley
1983 - Tony Mankelow
EX: Steve Bishop, Mike Tester, Mike Saffery (RIP), John Jenson, Colin Smith,
Peter Lock (RIP), Ollie Else, Roy Heath, Tony Wimble (RIP)
1985 - Peter Farrer, Hew Edeludalooo (don't ask)
EX: Mike Wade, Dave Dicketts, Phil Grey, Martyn Calder, Ray Dennis, Harry Wood (RIP)
1987 - EX: Pat Harnady
1988 - Derek Murphy
EX: Murry Evans,
1989 - Phil Cockerton
1990 - EX: Mike Collins, Mike Slack (RIP)
1991 - Len Smith
EX: Danny Revell, Jeff Wilding, John Terry, Barry Coughlan
1993 - Ray Guttridge
EX: Graham Carr, Tom Ryan (RIP)
1994 - EX: Roger Wootten, Spike Simmonds, Mike Edwards
1995 - EX: Paul Rutherford
1996 - Stuart Gilbert
1997 - EX: Keith Angus, John Worely, Alex Thompson, Mike Slator
1998 - Andrew Smith
1999 - Gary Easdown
2001 - EX: Simon Stroud
2006 - Ian Westlake
2007 - Ron Price
2012 - Graham Bridgewater
EX: Alan Ranger, Neil Rogers
2014 - Owen Brunning
2015 - Wayne Rodriguez
2016 - EX: Steve Riches (again, joined 1983 and 2006) EX: Don Pilcher RIP (joined 1986)
2019 - Steve Riches (back again)
2019 - Ollie Else (back again)
2022 - Ex Steve Riches (again) EX: Derek Murphy (again)
2024 - EX: Phil Ralph (joined 2000)
2025 -EX: Keith Evans (joined 2006) EX: Ollie Else (again, joined 2019 and 1983)
19 members - 12 from 30 years ago - 51 ex-members
Not bad for 42 years!
Annual General Meetings
Held every September since 1994
1994 - Dublin - Ireland, 1995 - Brussels - Belgium, 1996 - Prague - Czech Republic, 1997 - Budapest - Hungary,
1998 - Krakow - Poland, 1999 - Lisbon - Portugal, 2000 - Athens - Greece, 2001 - Tallinn - Estonia,
2002 - Puerto Banus - Spain, 2003 - Madrid - Spain, 2004 - Dubrovnik - Croatia,
2005 - Riga - Latvia, 2006 - Lubijana -Slovenia, 2007 - Palma - Majorca 2008 - Brno - Slovakia
2009 Bodrum - Turkey, 2010 Butlins Bognor Regis - England, 2011 - Varna - Bulgaria
2012 - OUR THIRTIETH - IBIZA, 2013 - Vilamoura - Portugal, 2014 - Los Cristianos - Tenerife,
2015 - Benidorm - Spain, 2016 - Vilnius - Lithuania, 2017 - Puerto Banus, Spain, 2018 - Ibiza,
2019 - Palma Majorca. 2020 - Bloody COVID 19 so in the garden in Kent.
2021 - Pontins Lowestoft (still Covid) 2022 - Seville - Spain 2023 - Barcelona 2024 - Hvar Croatia
2025 - Puerto Banus - Spain, 2026 - Tirana, - Albania
Tuesday Meetings
Drinking Games, Yard of Ale, Country Music Singer, Red Nose Day, Bat & Trap, Black Tie Dinner, Indoor Cricket,
Pancake Tossing,Sponge Ball Throwing, Guess The Logo Competition, Go Karts, Games Evening,
Investment Dinner, Poker Competition, Conker Fight, Greyhound Racing, JCB Racing, Brighton Casino, Clay Pigeon Shoot, Skittle Alley,Gentleman's Evening (Strippers!), Laser Quest, Bar Fly, Quad Riding, Croquet Match, Shadow Poker, Boule Competition,Chiselhurst Caves, Trout Fishing, Casper's Telephone Bar, Spoof Night, RE Museum, Blackjack Evening, Arm Wrestling,Radio Controlled Cars, Rodeo Riding, Ten Pin Bowling, Fireworks Display, Brag Cards Evening, Magic Display,Flagship Brewery Visit, Archery, Blow Water Polo, Visit Radio Caroline, Great Stour Brewery, Clairvoyant, Kent Police Museum, Tower Keys Ceremony, Dine in the Dark, Circus School, Champagne Tasting,Pub Theatre, Land-shuttle, Jet Skiing, Photography Contest, Secret Santa, Kite Flying, River Cruise, Climbing Wall,Bouncy Football, Blindfold Driving, Throw-Up Golf, F1 Grand Prix, Giant Jenga, Origami, Cartoonist, Pumping Station Visit,Quick Draw Competition, London Eye, Snail Racing, Ski Slope, Gladiators, Indoor Bowling, Pizza Making, Butchery Skills, Golf Cross, Mash Potato Wrestling, Ghost Hunt, Cross Country Car Race, Go Ape, Flat Green Bowls, Cabaret Club,Rifle Range, Trout Fishing, Land Rover Racing, Scooter Racing, Clown Face Painting, Home Made Beer Tasting,Haunted Pub Tour, Open Topped Bus Tour, Birds of Prey, Paddle Steamer Trip, Rent-A-Crowd, Hard Rock Casino,Quiz Night, Sittingbourne Light Railway, Auto-test, Backgammon Competition, Palmistry, HMS Belfast, Snow Park,Calendar Boys, Football Match, Tarot Card Reading, Speedway Racing, Military Vehicles, Paintball, Metal Detecting,Sailing, Karaoke, Burns Night, Texas Hold-em, Anne Summers Party, Stock Car Racing, Digger Wars, Ice Bar,Arkwright's Revenge, Airsoft Gunfight, Craps, Jousting, Bay-blast, Beer Crate Piling, Rugby Sing-Song, Maggot racingStuffed Horse Racing, Comedy Club, Caveau de Sabrage, Thames Boat Racing, Banger Racing, 20/20 Cricket Match,Laughter Training, Scrap Heap Challenge, Zorbing, Children's Birthday Party, Flight Simulator, Bingo, Wine Tasting,Hand Bell Ringing, Fire Walking, Sword Fighting, Helicopter Flying, Sikh Temple Visit, Choclatier Demonstration,
Male Voice Choir, Flower Arranging, Military Band, Humvee Driving, Boat Race, Hot Air Ballooning,
Segway Riding, Pop-Up Restaurant, Pedibus Ride, Cook-Your-Own Indian, Close-up Magic, F1 Simulator,
Kick Boxing, Open Mic Night, Lightship Visit, Gass Olympics, Arctic Explorer Talk, Portrait Photographs
Up at the 02, Walking on Broken Glass, Miniature Railway ride, Gillingham F.C Match, Tanks Museum,
Windsurfing, Pugil Sticks, HMS Belfast, The Tower of London Keys Ceremony, Wig & Pen Club, Falconry,
Ice Skating, Pottery Wheel, Olympic Bobsleigh, Morris Dancing, Punting on the Cam, Body Flying, Horse Racing,
Sumo Wrestling, Tobogganing, Paddle Steamer, Table Football, Wii Competition, Pig Racing, Yachting, Stick Fighting,Walking on Broken Glass, Scottish Country Dancing, Knife Throwing, Bouncy Boxing, Bull Whip Cracking, Dominatrix Lessons, White Water Rafting,Visit the Shard, Axe Throwing, Japanese War Drumming, Dance the Haka, Rum Tasting, Pantomime, Nude Art Class,Church Bell Ringing, Quarry Visit, Drive Tesla Cars, Line Dancing, Penny Farthing Riding, Samurai Swords, Punch & Judy Show,Close Up Magic Dinner, Kayaking on the Thames, Greek Dancing, Zoom Virtual Meeting (Coronovirus), Jedi Warrier Training, Dodgems and Skidwheels, Prison Island, Caricatures, Axe Throwing, Petanque, Spitfire Restoration, Cocktail Masterclass, Electric Go Karts, Hand Casting, Trial Cars, Christmas Turkey Shoot, Longest Zip Wire riding,
DJ class, Swan racing, Chainsaw Carving, Burlesque, Rope Making, War of the Worlds, Battle Karting,
The Cube, Spitfire Museum, Slide down the Helix, 21 Storey Swing at Bluewater, Electronic Darts......
.......to mention just a few !!!!
Plus loads of quality dinners, black tie events, guest speakers....
And loads and loads of simple pub nights where we just meet and chat.
And all that for forty quid a month - beer, food and entertainment - how do we do it??
CONTACT US
Email : mail@gass.org.uk
Brian Henslow, The Coach House, Stede Court Estate, Harrietsham, Kent ME17 1NR
Historical website : 2006 -2017 - www.gass.org.uk