2 minute read
FINAL WORD
Speaking with old friends
HG Wells once said, “What really matters is what we do with what we have”. He was an honoured guest speaker of the Society of Old Friends in 1918. Today, as Old Friend Steve Harrop interviews president Steve Robinson, and committee member and the society’s head of recruitment, Ian Buckley, these words clearly have a remarkable resonance today
Over the 112 years
Osince the Society of Old Friends was formed, in a small pub off London’s Regents Street, its mission has been - and continues to be - to encourage good fellowship and camaraderie among its many members and guests.
In any normal year, the society would be hosting two guests nights, one AGM, and four or five smaller, informal meetings known as ‘Clachans’ held in London and the Midlands.
But this has been a year unlike any other.
The pandemic, and resultant lockdowns, eliminated any opportunity for the physical socialising that has always been a fundamental cornerstone of the society’s calendar.
The committee decided to try a virtual Members’ Gathering and AGM in September, and we were delighted that nearly 50 members participated, and took obvious pleasure of being ‘together’!
Then we held a Christmas Clachan with a difference – and the difference was the talented Jon Culshaw. For 45 minutes, Jon enthralled around 150 members, family and friends with his extraordinary repertoire of impressions. Unsurprisingly, ‘The Donald’ and Boris Johnson featured strongly, as did Frank Bruno, David Attenborough, a few James Bonds, various football managers, a hilarious Michael McIntyre, a booming Brian Blessed and a tribute to the inimitable Terry Wogan.
After that fabulous December evening, the society decided to try something totally different and, in February, organised a Magical Spring Clachan with the excellent magician Lee Smith. Again, the virtual event was supported by more than 100 attendees who were treated to a remarkably microscopic scrutiny of the trickery and slight-of-hand of a masterful magician.
Most recently, 54 members attended the 2021 Members’ Gathering and AGM in April.
Hopefully, we will be returning to physical events soon, beginning with a Summer event in July, a London Clachan in September and, on 14th October, we are planning to hold our autumn dinner with a very special guest speaker - Gyles Brandreth.
It has been a truly extraordinary year and, as the society returns to physical events, the popularity of this inclusive and accessible virtual format will be something to consider for the future.
HG Wells would, undoubtedly, be proud that, despite the turbulence of the last 15 months, the society has continued to add new members - and hopes to welcome many more.
