DECEMBER - THE TWO EVENT CHRISTMAS!!!
Never have GASS members been so excited about Christmas - it must be true because we actually voted for TWO Christmas events - on consecutive days!!!!!
The logic went something like this........
Steve Bell had suggested a lunch at Langhans in London - on Monday 3rd December - for 16 people.
Graham (our amazingly effective and organised new Chairman) had suggested Victoria's in Harrietsham for a 70's and 80's night - on Friday 14th December - for everyone.
Now there were several problems here, and the members were on them like rabid dogs. First, GASS meets on a TUESDAY. Second, our meetings are in the EVENING (as some members actually work for a living). Third, there are 22 of us, not 16.
Not one to be discouraged the Chairman did a valiant job of squaring the circle. Not to overdo the BREXIT comparisons (as Brexit now means something completely different to GASS) Graham out May'ed Mrs May at managing to bring a solution out of an intractable problem. He made everyone decide to do two things!!!
And we all voted for it........ Amazing.
First up was the "Non-GASS" Christmas Lunch - this one you paid for yourself.
MONDAY 3RD DECEMBER - LUNCH AT LANGANS BRASSERIE.
Stratton Street, London W1J 8LB www.langansbrasserie.com
We met at 11.45 for pre-lunch drinks at Henry's Bar, 80 Picadilly, W1J 8HX. We the adjourned for lunch is at 1.00 at Langhans with two tables close together. Attending were - Steve, Pete, Nick, Brian, John, Ron, Phil C, Gary, Owen, Wayne, Andy, Keith, Hugh, Len, Derek - 15 in total, not bad considering. After lunch it was back to bar, as expected.
Next up - the "Official GASS" Christmas Dinner - this one paid by GASS.
TUESDAY 4TH DECEMBER - DINNER AT KITS COTY RESTAURANT
15 Old Chatham Road, Blue Bell Hill ME20 7EZ www.kitscoty.co.uk
We met there at 7.30. Brian asked everyone to bring their own CHRISTMAS HATS. Nobody did, far too adult for that sort of nonsense, so Brian brought along 20 hats.
We even had a meeting of sorts and quite a lot got decided.
AGM - A vote was held and lots of places were suggested and everyone promised to investigate their ideas (as if they would, why do people say this each year?).
NEW MEMBER - The current rules ban all new members forever (The Dan Smith Rule). Sadly the rule was badly drafted at the committee stage and so resulted in a loophole. That loophole allows 'ex-members' to rejoin and hence we were 'Murphy'd' last year. Now another ex-member bravely put his head above the parapet and requested to rejoin GASS.
Proposal: That Steve Riches (GASS 1983 to ? and again 2006-2016) be allowed to rejoin. Votes AGAINST - 18, Votes FOR - Nil.
That rather put the cat amongst the pigeons, slight huffing and puffing, bit of argie-bargy. The Chairman decided to lighten the mood by asking if anyone would vote for Ollie Else to rejoin - Votes AGAINST - Nil, Votes FOR - 22 (and there were only 18 people there, and even Steve voted for Ollie which was nice).
Outcome: Everyone lost interest. Hence I presume that Mr S. Riches paid his £250 Joining Fee (as did Mr D. Murphy on re-joining) and that he is indeed a fully paid up member taking us to 23 again. Welcome back Steve!
GASS BOOK CLUB - It seems that Mr S. Riches came armed with a new GASS idea, a Book Club. First book for us to read? Why it was a newly published tome by the name of 'Toe-Rag'. Written by? Well blow me down, it was by a Mr S. Riches, available at all good book stores only £5.
Members immediately offered up their own books -
'The Mechanics of Life' by Steve Bell.
'Down the Pan as Always' by Phil Cockerton.
'Digging myself out of hole again' by Ian Westlake.
'All my Mates are C**ts' by Phil Ralph.
'Full Pension Disclosure' by Peter Farrer.
'The Invasion of Poland and other of my Plans' by The Obergruppenfuhrer.
And on the exciting thought of the GASS Book Club going from strength to strength we all went home for Christmas at the end of another good year. Happy Christmas to one and all!