THE LONDON LUNCH
artichoke and porcini mushroom cream sauce was a very tasty start and seemed to be well received by all including surrounding diners; Hugh Diment (N 56/60), Chris Noel (O 56/61), John Wood (O 56/59), Jerry Pontin (N 56/60), Norman Robson (O 54/59), Jamie Wood (O&B 58/62), Tony Merett (N 53/58) and John Sale (N55/59) to name but a few. The Mountain Spray Chardonnay from New Zealand flowed very suitably with the starter. The main course of fillet of Scottish venison with green pepper corn jus followed and there was a delicious Isla Negra Chilean Shiraz for the glass. This was followed by plum and fig tart with green apple sorbet, coffee, truffles and Cockburn’s Special Reserve Port. After suitable comfort breaks (many more for some than for others) Colonel John Longman, (P 57/61) President of the Old Brutonian Association gave us the Loyal Toast. He welcomed the guests, of whom the principal was the new Headmaster - Ian Wilmshurst; Wayne Thomas, Governor, Richard Claas, Foundation Director and Linda Beresford-Jones a generous benefactor to the School. Additionally Glynn Jenkins was invited as a guest since it was to be his last luncheon with us because he is leaving his post as KSB Director of Music to teach in St Andrews. His hard work and cooperation to provide the chamber music to accompany the luncheons for the last seven years has been much appreciated. John then spoke of the use of OBA funds, scholarships, help with minor projects and some of the plans ahead. The School, OBA and the Foundation have now decided to move ahead with the Memorial Hall refurbishment project which will include restoration of the existing panels and
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the carving of a new one in Ben’s memory. Already more than £4,000 had been received in the Memory of Ben Ross Appeal, which was launched in October. To the delight of the diners John followed with an impressive and seemingly never-ending list of news of Old Brutonians. Billy Gammon (P87/92), with two other Englishmen and a New Zealander, rowed 3,100 nautical miles from Perth to Mauritius coming second in just eighty-one days and raising £140,000 for prostate cancer research. The event has now become a competition and two other OBs, Rob Bailward (B 98/00) and Tristan Lark (N 98/00) have declared their intention to participate in the same race in 2011. Tom Heal and Will Smith, who left the School in 2006, aim to be the youngest ever team to take part in the Woodvale Atlantic Rowing Race. Starting two days after the luncheon from La Gomera in the Canary Isles to Antigua, the race is unaided over some 2,930 miles with an anticipated duration of between fifty and seventy days. They are raising money for the Special Boat Service Association. Michael G Read (P&L 52/57) has become the World Triathlon Champion for his age group. If all of this is not heady enough, Brutonians like to get to the top, and in October Philip Brazier (B 63/66) and Richard Hammond (B 73/76) climbed Mount Everest to the 5,400 meters Base Camp. Charlie Campbell (P 93/98) organised a cricket match on Everest, so raising £106,000 for the Himalayas Trust and The Lord’s Taverner’s and is now planning a golf tournament at the South Pole. (As this report is penned I wonder if the prospective teams
THE OLD BRUTONIAN 2010