MR2 Drivers Club North West Region

Anglesey

Written by Karen Farrimond

 MR2DC North West – Christmas Party Weekend 2000

 After the success of last year’s event we returned to Henlly’s Hall Hotel in Anglesey and this time we were joined by members of the Dragon Sports Car Club, which is based in Wales and covers Wales and the North West.

 Some of us arrived early enough on the Saturday to have time for lunch at the White Horse in Beaumaris.  Luckily for the more squeamish amongst us we’d managed to finish eating before being treated to Ray’s graphic description of the laser treatment to his eyes – thanks for that Ray.

 At about 2.15 the lunchers joined the more recent arrivals at the Hotel for the first big convoy of the weekend – a trip to a large toyshop in the area where we bought toys and gifts to donate to the children’s ward at Arrowe Park Hospital on the Wirral.  More of that later but as you can imagine 20 or 30 people all arriving at once gave the shop staff a bit of a shock, especially when we seemed more intent on playing with the toys rather than actually buying anything.  Eventually everyone got sorted out and back to the hotel we went for a massive pressie wrapping session.

We settled in the lounge with scissors, wrapping paper and sellotape everywhere and in need of a drink to ease the workload.  Horror! The hotel staff refused to open the bar!  With tongues hanging out and mutiny threatening Paul Moores and Chris Lloyd undertook a mercy mission and raided the local supermarket for supplies.  Unfortunately one of the cans exploded in Chris’s car on the way back leaving Chris so traumatised it took him longer to wrap one present than everyone else took to do 3 or 4 each.  I know the present was an awkward shape but it couldn’t have been that difficult.  More trouble with Ray’s eyes.  This time a pair of squishy joke ones he’d bought at the toyshop and which he insisted on throwing at everyone.  

 Pressies sorted we settled down to watch Paul and Nikki’s video of MR2000 and the recent skidpan event (cue sarcastic comments about everyone else’s driving skills) until it was time to change for dinner.  Here Paul and Chris did us proud turning out in full dinner suits, dress shirts, bow ties and those things that go round the waist that I can’t spell, or even pronounce.

38 of us sat down to dinner, 28 from MR2DC and 10 from the Dragon Club.  Much fun was had by all firing balloons at each other.  Allan was the first to get a balloon directly through the door and into the kitchen, and Jon claimed the distance prize for getting one to hit the far wall – a distance of some 30 feet through difficult terrain (the other dinner party sharing the dining room).  For those of you who weren’t aware of it, the video camera was set up and recording throughout the meal.  Did you do anything you shouldn’t have?

 After dinner, the disco.  Loud music, incomprehensible DJ, much dancing, many more drinks – just what an after dinner disco should be.  Moe was plagued by Ray’s eyeballs (the squishy ones) and Paula’s undies went down a treat.  Oh for goodness sake! Get your mucky minds out of the gutter.  I meant Paula inadvertently flashed her knickers and only Nikki was kind enough to tell her.  Later on there was a rumor that Paula and Suzanne had tried to throw Paul into the bath in their room, unfortunately he wasn’t quite drunk enough to let them.

 At the petrol station the attendant commented he could go for weeks without seeing a sports car and suddenly there were 7 on the forecourt all at once.  When he was told to look out of the window and saw the other 6 or 7 still queuing for petrol he could hardly believe his eyes.  I actually think we made his weekend.

 After that it didn’t take us long to get split up but we managed to find each other again on Tesco car park.  Let’s face it, a dozen or more MR2s on one car park don’t take much looking for.  After that some people made their way home while the rest of us went on to the hospital.  By the time we stopped at the Little Chef for yet more food we were down to 6 cars and 11 people.  The manager insisted they didn’t take coach parties but was persuaded to change his mind when he couldn’t find the coach!  

 At the hospital we were met by nurses Des, Hilary and Gemma who accepted the presents on behalf of the hospital and the children.  Arrowe Park currently has about 40 children on the ward, most of them infants and toddlers, and mostly in isolation as they both carry, and are prone to, infection.  The hospital does its best to make the ward as cheerful as possible with Mr Men, Wallace and Gromit and The Simpsons everywhere.  They were very grateful for the presents as they try to give each child on the ward a present at Christmas or just as they go home before Christmas.  Our delivery of nearly 30 presents had made that a lot easier for them.  

After the hospital it was time to finally go home.  Next year’s Christmas Party is already being planned.  There was talk of hiring a castle in Scotland for the weekend but that could be a bit ambitious.  An alternative suggestion was a mediaeval weekend.  If any of the North West members have suggestions feel free to toss them into the debate at the next meeting.  

 Thanks to Paul & Nicki for all their hard work during the year; to the organising committee for their contribution during the year as well; but most of all to Moe, for organising this year’s do and volunteering to organise next year’s as well. 

 P.S. Moe – did you ever find that other eyeball in the bed??

Thank you letter from Arrowe Park Hospital