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The Red Lion, Betchworth. Review by Malcolm
Ward NO ROOM IN THE INN...
…We were not however offered a stable,
but ushered towards a fairy-light festooned marquee. Stepping inside, I
became immediately aware we had seriously underestimated the number of
SVVS members attending! Inside the marquee there were large oval tables
with seating all around, but these were soon filled, so more chairs were
called for and quickly supplied. We could have usefully employed a bus
conductor who used to call "pass right down the bus please" as
more guests arrived. Despite the jostling for space, everyone seemed to be
enjoying this very convivial event.
Taking photos proved challenging, but
I managed to move around without treading on too many guest's toes or
spilling their drinks! All was going well until a sudden thought brought
on a moment of panic…food…Tony Russell had ordered sufficient for 45
members, but a quick head count revealed at least 70! Thoughts of feeding
the five thousand with five loaves and two fishes came to mind, but would
there be any divine intervention? At eight o'clock, Tony made the
announcement that food was now being served in the garden, so please form
an orderly queue.
Fortunately, members were in blissful ignorance of the
dire situation, so a stampede was unlikely. My position in the queue was
three quarters of the way down, just about by which time all the food
would have been taken. Noticing members returning with plates piled high
with delicious hot meals only increased my anxiety! Need I have worried?
It appeared not. Our experienced Landlord, following a quick briefing from
Tony, obviously deployed the same strategy, instead of breadcrumbs and
fish bones, my eyes were met with a view of an amazing variety and
quantity of delicious food. My offered plate was quickly served with
chosen delights until filled, in fact, food remained until the last plate
had been served…a miracle!
The festive jollity continued late into the
evening and had by then spilled into the bar as space became available. As
members began to take their leave, many a comment could be heard
expressing how much they had enjoyed this festive event. Speaking to the
Landlord before I left, he said had he known the number of guests
expected, an additional room could have been prepared. In that case, we
may be back next year, but with the correct total expected! Thanks go to
Tony Russell for organising this event, to all those members and guests
attending and to the tireless staff at The Red Lion. I must also thank
Phil Sowry for helping jump-start Paul Vosper's Rolls Royce …my ride
home!
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