Mountains of meat, bundles of beer and a selection of snacks…yep, it’s BBQ time!
By Katie Garner
David and Katie
The Wychelm Badminton Club BBQ has become a bit of a ‘thing’ – now a regular social for the third consecutive year, it has definitely become a highlight on our event calendar, giving all members the opportunity to get involved and enjoy some fun in the sun together. This year’s barbeque action happened on Sunday 27th July at 6.30pm, based at Welsh members Janet and David’s home in Romford. Glaring angrily at any weather forecast that dare mention rain must have done the trick too, as the day was deliciously muggy with a scattering of clouds, a refreshing breeze and a dim glow of early evening sunlight.
The rules of the club BBQ are simply. Every member attending will contribute between £5 and £10 each to go towards bulk buying meat, which is usually the responsibility of the host. Each member then has to bring with them on the day either a side dish or a dessert, as well as whatever alcohol or soft drink is their usual tipple. This year, we had about 19 people attending, including various spouses, so we had a really relaxed and family friendly vibe, which was great. Janet and David had prepared the scene nicely, with their folding conservatory doors reclining lazily against the walls so that we could all walk straight out on to their freshly lawned garden to nab a hard chair around a central wooden table. Side dishes, desserts and drinks were all left in the kitchen area for us to graze at later.
The gang having fun
This year’s selection of food and drink was just as all-encompassing as it has been in the past, and I must confess I love the opportunity to get my cookbook out and try something new! I decided to tackle dessert, making a toffee cheesecake for my very first cheesecake attempt, paired with some chilled chocolate biscuits that were actually very moreish if I do say so myself. Match secretary Frank bought alone some of his trademark savoury rice, full with carrots and peas, while treasurer Nick and his wonderful wife Sandra provided a tasty pasta salad. The supremely elegant Kay came armed with tubs of coleslaw while the very loveable Joel opted for ricotta stuffed peppers, which I thought went particularly well with the green salad Clem brought. Clem also contributed to dessert with some iced cupcakes, while Jess went for a pastry option by bringing apple strudel. Gary and his supportive wife Kerry came with a mix of potato salads for us to sample, whilst social butterfly Diane shared a selection of dips and crisps. Noel provided the rolls for burgers and sausages and Het encouraged wife Dipti to rustle up some of her yummy Indian nibble bites for us all to enjoy. Helen went for a snack option with nuts, as did Matt with chocolate and Caroline with fruit. Janet and David had used the club kitty to buy an onslaught of meat, including a variety of burgers, sausages, chicken thighs and mixed kebabs, with plenty of chicken, pork and beef for everyone. There was so much meat left over, a few of us even took takeaway boxes home – well we all paid for it!
First round of meat
The evening was a huge success on the whole, with everyone taking the time to catch up and mingle. It’s always nice to find out a bit more about the people we play with, as sometimes on club night there is hardly any time to talk as there is such a quick turnaround between games, and occasionally you can spend a whole night missing the same person depending on the draw. The socials provide a fantastic opportunity to let your hair down and show your badders comrades that you own clothes other than sportswear. The BBQ was still going strong when I left at nearly 11pm, with some of the lucky folk who didn’t have work the next day continuing on until 4am! Always a favoured social that lets everyone get stuck in and contribute their favourite foods. Any volunteers to host for next year?
The August social is a pub lunch at The Harrow on Saturday 16th at 1pm. Another repeat social from last August, but I have such fond memories of that gloriously sunny beer garden it was too hard to resist a second attempt at this laid back option. If you are interested, please sign up via the sign on the notice board. Remember, if you have any ideas for social events then please do let me know!
