GWENT GREATER DISTANCE CLUB
2009 PRESENTATION EVENING
Report by Ray Strawbridge
Oh, what a night it was, it really was such a night! On Saturday 31st October 2009 the Gwent Greater Distance Club held its 2009 presentation evening at the superb Greenmeadow Golf & Country Club, Croesyceiliog near Cwmbran. Fifty members and guests sat down to a first class three course roast beef dinner. Every table was numbered and place name cards were on the tables and each member and guest received a beautifully produced booklet containing a mine of relevant information on the club and it’s members. This was once again, conceived, professionally produced and sponsored by Marie Strawbridge.
John Haynes and Mark Gilbert with Dave and Vince Padfield
Secretary Tony Coombs welcomed our guest Mrs Kay Cousins, widow of the late Glyn Cousins, who was a highly regarded member of the Club. Glyn’s wish, before he passed away. was that a memorial cup be presented in his name. This cup to be presented to the winner of one of the longest races in the International and the cup to be named the ‘Glyn Cousins Memorial Cup’. This wish was carried out by Kay.
Other guests included Mr Clive Hughes the pigeon photographer, sponsor of the Barcelona winning pigeon photograph. Clive was also on duty during the evening to take the photos of the winning fanciers that accompany this report. Many thanks Clive.
What a coup for the G.G.D.C. to welcome Mr Mark Gilbert of Windsor. 4 x 1st Nationals including 1st N.F.C. Dax and 1st International, plus 1st N.F.C...Pau/Saintes and many other top positions. We also welcomed Mark’s friend Mr John Haynes, a 1st B.I.C.C. Pau International winner. Both Mark and John presented the winners with their prizes.
By 8.30pm with the meal over it was time for the 2009 winners to be presented with their trophies and prize money. First up was Mr Spencer Jones winning 1st Falaise O.B. and the Dave Whitefield Cup. 1st Saran O.B. and the Dan Driscoll Cup. Spencer also won the Adrian Ware & Dtr Challenge Cup.
Next up was one of the youngest of our members Mr Andrew Vincent winning 1st Poitiers O.B. and the Padfield Family Cup. Andrew enjoyed a marvelous old bird campaign with the club, featuring on many of the results. Well done Andrew !
Next up, was one of Wales’s greatest ever fancier’s, the quiet man Mr Dennis Ford, winning 1st Saintes O.B. and the Mark Jude Floors Ltd Cup. Dennis also won 1st Bergerac O.B. and the Dave Whitefield Cup.
Dennis was followed by Mr & Mrs Gardner who enjoyed tremendous success, not only with the GGDC but also in the BICC. Terry and Carol won 1st Marseille and the Strawbridge Family Cup and also 1st Falaise Y.B. and the Gareth Evans Cup.
Next to the table was Club Chairman Ray Strawbridge to receive the Glyn Cousins Memorial Cup presented by a tearful Mrs Kay Cousins, for winning 1st Perpignan.
Each and every member receiving the recognition they deserved, but the loudest applause of the night being saved for the Padfield Family, and very rightly so, considering their performance, when winning the following: 1st Barcelona and the Brian Corten Cup. The Terry Ash Perpetual Cup. The Watkins & Cockroft Perpetual Cup for the highest position in the B.I.C.C. races with 2nd Open Barcelona. The Clive Hughes Barcelona sponsored winners photograph, this in addition to their terrific performance of 1st Pau, winning the Mr& Mrs Mears Cup.
Two members not present were Mr Darren Roberts who won 1st and 2nd Alencon O.B. and the Brian Corten Cup and Wilf and Janet Reed, who had every intention of attending but unfortunately went down with flu. All of our members hope they are both over it now. Amongst Wilf’s 2009 successes was 1st Tarbes [also 2nd & 3rd] winning The Strawbridge Family Trophy.
On completion of the presentation it was time for the artist Dave Lee Jones and what an entertainer he is, playing music from the past right up to the present.
His first forty minutes just flew by and during his break Chairman Ray Strawbridge auctioned ten pigeons which were given by Andrew Vincent, Arnold Bros, Wilf Reed, Preece Bros, Dennis Ford, Terry Gardner, Adrian Ware, the Padfield Family, Mark Gilbert and John Haynes. The auction raised £526 with the raffle raising £133. To the members who were absent, what a chance you missed, to buy pigeons from National winning lofts at working mans prices or should I say ‘old age pensioners’ prices. Anyway, the auction put a big smile on the face of Treasurer Adrian Ware.
It was then time for the second artist, Miss Becky Barnbrook, a young up and coming Classical/Pop singer. All I can say is - look out for this young and very talented young lady from South Wales. Becky’s final song ‘Time to Say Goodbye’ had some people in tears.
The last hour of the evening, Dave Lee Jones had everyone on their feet dancing. He even managed to get some up to give a song. These included “The Newport Nightingale” aka Ray Strawbridge, Jeff Boyd and the “Phillipstown warbler” John Williams. Ted Garwood’s son-in-law Mike sang, ‘I’m The King of the Swingers’. and I have to say he was brilliant. He was ably supported by John Haynes who was up and down the dance floor mimicking the monkey king’s dance from the film Jungle Book. John, you’ll be pleased to know that I’ve passed on your telephone number to Steven Spielberg’s Hollywood agent so that he can consider casting you in a remake of The Jungle Book! I would also like to say that your dance was spot on - pity no-one had a video camera handy to record the moment for posterity.
There were some people who felt that because the G.G.D.C. had a combined presentation dinner with the W.S.R.N.F.C. in 2007 & 2008, that the 2009 presentation evening would not be as successful. How wrong they were, roll on next year!
Our thanks go to Mark Gilbert and John Haynes for travelling down from the Windsor area to present the prizes, your presence was greatly appreciated by all the members. Lets hope you enjoyed yourselves enough to come back and join us again next year!
Finally, the members would like to take this opportunity to thank all our kind and generous sponsors for supporting the club once again in 2009 despite the difficult economic climate. Good luck to you all for the future.
Ray Strawbridge, Mark Gilbert and John Haynes
John Haynes, Andrew Vincent and Mark Gilbert
John and Mark with Spencer Jones
John and Mark with Colin Preece of Preece Bros & Sons
John and Mark with Terry Gardner
John and Mark with Denis Ford
John and Mark with Kay Cousins and Ray Strawbridge
