 
The main social event in the ECOGA calendar is always the annual dinner at the Royal Burnham YC, held this year on the 6th March and once again ably organised by Trevor Rawlinson and Roy Hart.
About seventy gaffers and friends gathered at the RBYC clubhouse, dressed in their best blazers and frocks (not together, you understand), for pre-prandial drinks before sitting down in the sumptuous dining room for a four course meal. Once the salmon or duck had been served and Jon Wainwright’s memory toasted with his favourite sticky toffee pudding, the cheese and biscuits consumed and the port passed round, EC president Peter Thomas introduced the guest speaker, none other than long-time EC gaffer and expert helm of Moonstone IV, David Lewin. David gave us an entertaining snapshot of his varied life, from trainee jeweller to forensic dentist, via motor racing correspondent and rally driver, all delivered in his characteristic self deprecating style. Roy Hart then had us opening our wallets for the raffle and auction of a Mike Peyton original cartoon, raising nearly £400 for our area funds. Visiting Association secretary Robert Holden then made a presentation to Brian Hammett, in recognition of his four year stint as Association president. This was the end of the serious business, but there was another presentation to be made; EC secretary Pete ‘the Knife’ Elliston recounted how his predecessor, Jon Wainwright, had fought a battle over many years with the Crouch Mafia, who were determined that only local skippers should win on ‘their’ river. However, their power is now in terminal decline and as a final humiliation, Pete presented the aging Mafia boss with a plain wrapper containing…. the dreaded horses head! On this hilarious note, the dinner broke up and guests went back to the bar, to recount more ‘if only’ stories of last season and to plan for the next. Bernard Patrick. pics by Mike Robertson      |