A new fixture, the inaugural West Midlands meeting, took place on Wednesday 25th October by kind invitation of the Blackwell members. Three OHs who are members, George Barkes, Simon Sharp and Charles Wade were joined by David Moseley, Adrian Gracey, John Casson and William North plus another Blackwell member (not OH), James Busby.
After much discussion, we agreed to play pairs better ball and we duly set off under clear skies on a perfect October day for golf in 2 groups of 4. The pairs were arranged with the lowest handicap playing with highest and this resulted in a close contest with Adrian Gracey and Charles Wade coming out on top with 38 points which was also matched by William North and James Blake but Adrian and Charles were declared the victors on countback. The course was in excellent condition but playing long.
We stopped after 9 holes in the Blackwell tradition for a restorative glass – coffee, soup or something stronger and returned at about 2.30 pm for a superb 3-course lunch (see photo) with excellent wines.
Everyone enjoyed the day and would like a repeat next year but are keen to explore some other, perhaps less frequently used, formats for the day.
On a personal note, I would like to thank George Barkes for offering to host this day, providing the amusing prizes and for making all the arrangements for a most enjoyable occasion.
William North (Hon Sec)
