Area 4 - Post-Lockdown Lunch (Almost)

We planned this meal for Christmas 2020. Then we postponed it. Then we re-kindled it. Then we postponed it again. Then we fixed it for post-lockdown. Then we crossed our fingers that there wouldn’t be another postponement, despite the extension of lockdown. Luckily for us, and unbeknownst to me, landlord Tony had a cunning plan… a marquee in the garden that can seat 30 people as per the government’s maximum allowance.

It was perhaps a fingers-crossed-too-far to expect good weather, but at least it was dry as 15 couples arrived in 16 cars, 14 of them being Astons. Regardless, the full complement of 30 adults plus baby Hazel (with grandparents Anthony and Barbara King) arrived on time and indeed with enough time for mooching in the car park. What a delight to have real humans, looking at real cars in the fresh air. The Z word* wasn’t mentioned once!

Charles and Linda Scott even managed to arrive with the DB7 Vantage Volante top down. They soon put it up again as the forecast was not good. The forecast became reality as the rain fell steadily from the arrival of the starters and was pouring by the time the roast beef arrived. It mattered not. By then the conversation was flowing as was the wine for the non-drivers.

‘New Members' (in parenthesis as the definition of ‘new’ has been stretched somewhat by the lack of activities) were also in abundance. Brilliant!

Rick and Dee Stewart in their DB11, Dan and son Seb Winchilsea in their V8 Vantage (Dan’s covered 3000 miles since April, well done!), Andrew and John Jamieson-Jerreat in their AMR Vantage and Chris and Julia Hill in their DB9.

Chris entertained us with a couple of Bond cars. A ‘Die Another Day’ Vanquish and a ‘Goldfinger’ DB5. Both are rather lively. They play the Bond theme, make rocket and machine gun noises whilst screeching tyres and, if you let them, whiz along the floor whilst doing so! It turned out that the DB5 was a ‘swapsy’ and came home with the Fawkeses in exchange for a donation to Macmillan Cancer Care in support of Jo Thorburn’s fundraising efforts in memory of her much-missed parents-in-law, Ned and Bev. Husband James brought along T15NED (V12 Vantage S), appropriately.

A couple of hours later we all departed in steady rain having been looked after excellently by landlord Tony and his team. John Simcock had recommended the venue to us some months before and it is now confirmed as our venue for the Area 4 Christmas Lunch on 12^th December. Say no more.

As I write, full un-lockdown is 8 days away…  fingers crossed.

Finally, thank you to all who slotted back in so well to a proper event and made Members old and new feel very welcome.

* Whisper it, Zoom.