England is, compared to South Africa, a small country with much of the social, political and economic activity concentrated in the south-east and in London in particular. It is in this region that most of our ODs live and even for some of them, especially after a late night, getting home is not as easy as the maps would have one believe.
Travelling into London from the counties is difficult, expensive and time-consuming and so one of the goals of the UK ODU is to take the ODU to ODs who otherwise would not have the chance to meet and socialise with each other.
Oxfordshire is one of those counties with a relatively large OD contingent and for the second year ODs and their wives gathered for a most convivial and extended lunch at The Bell, Kidlington. It never ceases to amaze me how despite the many years which separate the youngest and oldest at these functions, the ease with which ODs slip into interested and interesting conversations with each other; the Bishops thread at work! Or the wine ...
We were very pleased to have Tony (F, 1939) and Deborah Honoré with us. Deborah, a Duncan, had three brothers at Bishops, so is no stranger to the Bishops' banter. Also at lunch were Katie Hofman (nee Hutchins, G, 1981) one of our very few lady ODs, Tim (S, 1951) and Rosemary Bravington, Mark (O, 1962) and Margie Charnock, Mike (G, 1951) and Anne Taylor, Peter (F, 1963) and Diana Carter, Matthew Golesworthy (K, 2011) and Nicky Bicket (F, 1973). Three ODs were not able to make it and were missed: Chris Winearls (W, 1967), Chris Danziger (G, 1958) and Martin Harris (G, 1964)
Click on the photos to enlarge
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| Left: Peter Carter and Matthew Golesworthy. Right: Mike Taylor and Deborah Honoré |
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| Tony Honoré (left) and Peter Carter |
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| Mark Charnock and Anne Taylor |
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| Tony Honoré and Margie Charnock |
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| Tim and Rosemary Bravington |
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| Mike Taylor and Deborah Honoré |
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| Rosemary Bravington, Mike Taylor and Peter Carter |
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| Mark Charnock, Anne Taylor (left) and Rosemary Bravington (right) |
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| Mark Charnock and Katie Hofman |
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| Diana Carter, Mike Taylor, Deborah Honoré and Nicky Bicket |
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| In the foreground: Margie Charnock and Tony Honoré; facing: Diana Carter, Mike Tayor, Deborah Honoré and Katie Hofman. |
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| Tony Honoré - "To Bishops" |
