Portland Ball
In the spacious ball room of the Portland College, Mansfield, the Commandery of King Offa held its Autumn Ball.
The Bailiff and Dame Lynne Holloway honoured us with their presence, having a relaxed time without duties to perform – other than joining the secretary and his mother in the St Bernard’s Waltz!
Over 100 members and friends sat down to dinner – a good 25 of whom had been invited by our 3 newest members: Confreres Howard Mace, John Bullock and Paul Day, these gentlemen having proved to be superb recruits. Thick soup, huge slices of beef, highly calorific profiteroles – and afterwards, the cabaret with The Mazeppa Cossack Dancers. All the way from the Steppes of Russia, these athletic men have performed before the Queen. We too were treated to the liveliest, most energetic spectacle, and several diners were “volunteered” to risk their joints and backs by joining in. A real treat!
Then came the raffle for a gallon of whisky – this writer was particularly distressed to find that he was not the winner! After that we enjoyed dancing to Bev the Dancing Diva. Our usual 2nd raffle was enhanced hugely by the delivery of 45 (yes, 45) prizes – all beautifully wrapped – by Mrs Mary Bell and Mrs Sandra Smith. What a generous and thoughtful gesture! This gave us 69 raffle prizes in all.
The rest of the evening went like clockwork – a tribute to the magnificent organisational skills of Surg. Cdr. Bill McNicoll and Chevalier Peter Whalley. The Commandery owes them a great debt of thanks for another highly memorable occasion.
Our leprosy charities will benefit to the tune of £1,000 thanks to the generosity of those present.
Confrere Mario Rizzardi
Secretary
Investiture & Banquet August 2011
Southwell Minster, the cathedral church of the Bishops of Southwell and Nottingham, was the majestic venue. The soaring arches and vaulting of the Quire were the setting. The roar of the magnificent 4-manual cathedral organ accompanied the processions and the hymns, witnessed by almost 70 members, guests and visitors. Thus, after a welcome by the Precentor of Southwell, the service of Investiture was enacted in time-honoured fashion.
Earlier, in the intimate setting of the Pilgrim’s Chapel, the Postulants had prepared themselves at a very atmospheric Vigil service. In the heart of a busy cathedral, this chapel has a tranquility all its own.
The Investiture Service was conducted by the Chaplain, The Revd. John Burgess and the Deputy Chaplain General, The Revd. Louis Baycock. The Investiture was led by the Bailiff, Charles Holloway, assisted by the Deputy Bailiff, Andrew Zsigmond, and encouraged by the Bailiff Emeritus, Peter Fotheringham. The new Commander, John Reid, appointed his officers, and the Bailiff made a special award of Officer of Merit (OMLJ) to the retiring Commander, Bill Summers.
The quaint, Tudor-beamed Saracen’s Head, an ancient coaching inn where, amongst others, King Charles I stayed, was the delightful venue for the Banquet. The quality of the meal and the swiftness of the service was much appreciated. Altogether, a most memorable day.
More pictures of the above Investiture can be found at:
http://demgreen.blogspot.com/2011/08/king-offa-investiture-11-at-southwell.html
Look What You Missed!
King Offa Summer Social: 'The Soldiers of the Queen' (24-06-2011)
Thirty-seven members and their guests gathered in West Bridgford, Nottingham, on the last Friday in June, at a venue on the banks of the River Trent, to celebrate Her Majesty’s Armed Forces Day. A drink in the bar was followed by a vast summer buffet – endless hot and cold meats, salads and potatoes, followed by a delicious selection of puddings, specially prepared that afternoon by the resident chef. Mingling with the sound of laughter and lively conversation were the martial tones of marches played by the bands of the Household Cavalry, the Grenadier Guards and the Hussars.The dining room was decorated with Union Jacks, White Ensigns, RAF ensigns, recruiting posters from the world wars and a goodly supply of "hand-waving" Union flags.
When coffee had been served, Confrere Mario Rizzardi produced his electronic keyboard, whereupon the assembled company opened their songsheets and cleared their throats. From “The British Grenadiers” and “Hearts of Oak”, written in the 18th Century, via “Soldiers of the Queen”, from Victorian times, through the 1st World War with “Keep the Home Fires Burning” and “Pack up your troubles” to the 2nd World War and “There’ll be blue birds over the white cliffs of Dover” and “We’ll meet again”, the rafters shook as the singing got better and better.
Just before the end, a raffle was drawn... using wartime petrol coupons! Then, resounding choruses of “Rule, Britannia” and “Land of Hope and Glory” brought proceedings to a triumphant conclusion.The Commander, Bill Summers, warmly thanked Confrere Mario for organising such a delightful evening.
The writer can confirm that Mario went home feeling rather fuller and having lost his voice somewhat.
Commandery Social - 28th March, 2011
On a cold Saturday evening, members of the Commandery of King Offa assembled for a social evening at the Welbeck Banqueting Hall, Nottingham. After a convivial drink in the bar, members entered a meeting room which had been decorated with banners of the order, photographs and the King Offa gonfalon. There, a figure, having knocked on the door, entered wearing a brown habit, carrying a bell and begging bowl. This representation of a medieval leper turned out to be Confrere Peter Whalley who delivered a fascinating history of the order. Members then enjoyed a gargantuan buffet which, despite manful attempts at second and third helpings, seemed only to increase in size! The culmination of the evening was a presentation by the Chancellor, Chevalier Peter Salt, of a cheque for £3,500 to Eileen Evans, the representative of LEPRA. Members thus left for home with a warm glow in their hearts (and with full stomachs), looking forward to gathering again at the Summer Social in June and the Investiture at Southwell Minster in August.
Annual Autumn Ball - 9th October, 2010
On Saturday 9th October, we held our Annual Autumn Ball at Portland College near Mansfield. The evening was hosted by our Almoner, Confrere Peter Whalley, and his wife Margaret, and our Hospitaller, Confrere Bill McNicoll, and his wife Sarah. We were entertained by Steve Stirland, who provided the music for the dancing, and also the members of the Acappella Steel band, who added a Caribbean Calypso atmosphere to the evening. Some young members of the national dance championships were also invited to give a demonstration of their talents, after which certain of us with three left feet remained seated! A splendid meal was provided by the staff at the College, and, together with an open raffle and a sealed ticket raffle, the evening raised almost £900. Our grateful thanks are extended to all who were involved.
King Offa Investiture - 7th August 2010
Pictures of the recent Investiture can be found by clicking here
Organ Recital - 12th June 2010
On a lovely June Saturday, following the Annual Church Garden Party, the Commandery hosted an Organ Recital in the evening for the local congregation of Underwood and Brinsley at one of our Commandery churches. The event was a perfect ending to what had been a very successful day for the church. Our Commandery Organist, Confrère Mario Rizzardi MLJ, who is an Associate of the Royal College of Organists, and has performed for the Queen at Sandringham, was the host for the evening, accompanied by Mr Clifford Bull (baritone) who provided us with stirring renditions of several old favourites including ‘The Holy City’, and ‘Good-bye’ from The White Horse Inn. The only downside of the day from our point of view was that it clashed with the first England match of the World Cup, so the numbers attending were reduced. However, the 40 or so persons who did attend were treated to a rousing and unforgettable evening. Including the proceeds from the raffle and refreshments at ‘half-time’, we managed to raise over £300, to be shared equally between the Church and the Commandery’s charities.
