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PICKLE NIGHT DINNER, PORTSMOUTH 2015

01/11/2015 @ 19:00 - 23:00

For your diaries: Pickle Night in Portsmouth will take place on Sunday, 1st November 2015.

 

If you haven’t attended before here is a report on last year’s Pickle Night:

PICKLE NIGHT DINNER, PORTSMOUTH 2014

Ray Aldis

The 3rd annual Pickle Night was held on the 2nd November at The Dolphin public house in the heart of Old Portsmouth, very much the former stamping ground of Nelson’s Navy.  Sadly, however, this may be the last time that Jeanette Ryder, the organiser, may be able to use this venue.  The simple reason being that if attendance continues to increase as it has Jeanette is going to be booking the O2 Arena before too long!  Why so popular?  Well, if you put on a superbly organised dinner that is also huge fun, the word will spread and everyone is going to want to attend.  That is exactly what is happening.

This year 65 Members and guests managed to squeeze into the Dolphin’s function room; old friends hugged and kissed, first timers were introduced and made most welcome.  The evening didn’t have to warm up, almost within minutes of people arriving the room was buzzing.

Once everyone was there, we took our seats and were warmly welcomed by Jeanette.  She introduced the Very Reverend David Brindle, Dean of Portsmouth Cathedral, an old friend of TNS, who said Grace.  He also made the point that we were in one of the two oldest buildings in Portsmouth, the other being the Cathedral!

A traditional roast beef dinner was served, followed by cheese and biscuits for those not man (or woman) enough to take on the Spotted Dick!  Once the plates were cleared away and the port had circulated we were ready for the toasts; to be given by Society member John Wallis.  The danger of attending any function where Jeanette Ryder is in evidence is that if you arrive not being a member of The Nelson Society, by the time you leave you will be £30 worse off having joined!  This is what happened to John Wallis when he innocently turned up as a guest at the first Pickle Night two years ago.  John firstly gave the Loyal Toast and then a second to ‘Absent Friends’.

This year we were extremely lucky to have two guest speakers.  Firstly it was Alex Naylor, one of the Country’s great experts on Nelson and his Navy.  Alex spoke fluently and quite brilliantly, without notes, on the impact of the Napoleonic War and its aftermath on the future shaping of Europe.  He made the valid point that this was really the first World War and that those of the 20th Century were the second and third.  Alex also hi-lighted the point that this period of history was blessed with some real ‘statesmen’.  Men who cared deeply about their countries, rather than the shallow politicians of today who seem more interested in themselves and their careers.

Alex was followed by his wife Finni, who gave us a ‘Portait of Emma’.  Finni was dressed as Emma and looked as if she had just finished sitting for one of Emma’s magnificent portraits by George Romney.  Finni is clearly deeply fond of Emma and spoke knowledgably of her tragic life, albeit viewed, perhaps, through some rather rose-tinted glasses.

The speakers were thanked on behalf of us all by Paul Ganjou, our Chairman.  Paul also gave our more than well-deserved thanks to Jeanette Ryder, who, supported by husband Terry, put together this wonderful evening.  Anyone who has run similar events knows the huge amount of work and effort that goes into getting these things off the ground.

The evening was finished off with a sing-along led by long time TNS member Peter Harris with his guitar.  Peter had written a Nelsonian Round for us to sing which was a lot of fun and caused much laughter.  Finally, it was the old favourites including, of course, ‘Land of Hope and Glory’.  At some point even Vera Lynn seemed to put in an appearance!  What a Night!

You might have thought that the following morning would have earned Jeanette a well-earned lie in, but you would be wrong.  Bright and early, looking her usual immaculate self, she was hosting a breakfast party for 17 fellow TNS members at a Southsea café that overlooked the beach where Nelson departed these shores for the last time, on his way to Trafalgar. Once more, well done and thank you Jeanette.

Details

Date:
01/11/2015
Time:
19:00 - 23:00