On Saturday, October 30th. Hyde Heath Cricket Club held its annual dinner in the Hyde Heath Village Hall, which, for the purpose of this exercise, had assumed the guise of the Cafe de Paris, or some similar establishment.

Circular tables, plenty of flowers and other decorations were to be seen by the subtle lighting; there was a gift for each diner, a piece of jewellery for a lady and a snappy tie for a gentleman. The entire evening was planned and managed by Jemima Haddock and Jackie Napier-Munn, with helpful advice and assistance from Caroline Capper, and these ladies were warmly applauded later in the evening during addresses by the Chairman and the President. And so, prior to the meal, the convivial meeting with old friends, the joy of good times remembered, the soft clink of the claret cup, then to dinner, which was a well-presented triumph by the caterers operating from the mysterious depths of Tui Addison's kitchen. Afterwards Chairman, John Capper, spoke at length of the progress made during 2004, both on and off the field, and he thanked all those involved with the success of the big weekend in June with a special mention to his wife, Caroline ... Friday - Beer Festival, Saturday - President's Xl match, Sunday - Six-a-Side Tournament. He apologised that the Old Folk's Outing had not yet taken place, but arrangements were in hand for Spring, 2005. He felt that much praise was due to Captain, Charles Samuels, for managing two tours this year ... Wiltshire in July and Menorca in October ... and for skippering a side which had produced such excellent results. He proposed a toast to the continuing health improvement of the hon. secretary, and thanked the named ladies for a splendid evening.

Charles Samuels, in his turn, spoke briefly about the on field success in 2004. He congratulated Henry Capper on his maiden century for the Club and predicted that Matt. Sims, after his 90 against Bourne End, would soon reach the same target. There were three maiden half-centuries and two hat-tricks during the season and Charles applauded these achievements. He went on to emphasise the continuing good team spirit and made the following awards: Batting Cup - Henry Capper ; Bowling Cup - Jeremy Stevens Young Player of the Year - Dominic Haddock (that's the third year running he's won that); Fielding Cup - Danny Samuels ; Outstanding Achievement - Richard Austin and Captain's Cup - Jeremy Stevens. The latter two gentlemen were captains of the Hyde Heath Six which won the Robin Richards Trophy in our June Tournament and Charles made its presentation to them. Finally the Duck Award went to Danny Samuels.

President David Bevan also congratulated the Club on all its endeavours during the year and the organising ladies for transforming the Village Hall into a delightful dining room. He promised to try and bring a stronger side for President's Day, 2005 and thanked the Chairman, John Capper, and his wife, Caroline, for all their hard work prior to presenting them with the President's Cup.

There then followed a whimsical interlude when some dozen Alternative ( or C.A.C. Awards were announced by the hon.secretary. These were designed as humorous reminders of events during the season and were well received by the players, if not completely understood by the entire assembly.

And then the dancing; Dennis Ruff and his Disco played many a merry jig, including such cricketing favourites as "Soul Limbo" (Booker T.), "Mambo No.5 (Lou Bega) and " Dreadlock Holiday" ( 10 c. c. ).

The fun had to stop sometime, and, before we knew it, the clock had struck midnight and it was time to bring the proceedings to a successful close. What a good evening ... best Club Dinner we've had in years.. Same again next year ?      Where did 1 leave my car  ??     Taxi ................

Robin