Curry and wine in the pavilion

This year, for the first time, our Club dinner was held in the pavilion, tastefully converted into a banqueting hall with all guests seated around one large long table, cleverly fabricated by Fonthill's resident carpenter Dave Roberts.

Guests chatted as they supped on curry-themed food prepared and served by Fonthill's resident chefs Jonny and Tom Sutcliffe of The Riverbarn restaurant.

Guests were entertained by Fonthill's resident speechmaker Chairman Eric Tracey who revealed that he was actually only the Committee's third choice of speaker but who spoke entertainingly, and with merciful brevity before proposing a toast to Fonthill Park. Meanwhile to keep their brains challenged, diners also worked on a tabletop quiz of cryptic clues to "identify that cricketer" drawn up by Fonthill's resident quizwrangler Mark Mikurenda. One clue was "Kiwi slow bowler in city career" which Eric took a surprisingly long time to crack, allegedly because the word "very" would have made it easier.

The wine flowed and lubricated the chat. Jokes were shared and a good time was had by all before everyone headed home, many in shared taxis.

Fonthill's resident wine-buff James Parton was seen to be drinking red wine by the pint glass long after everyone else had gone, such was the excellence of the bouquet and flavour, in the hope that it would help solve the anagram "reorganise a spent major to reveal a leggy captain". He succeeded in the end and went home in good cheer after another good evening at Fonthill Park Cricket Club.