Having missed out on the last weekend at Bognor, I was determined to join the club at the Classic Rock weekend 4-7 March. After the fun and games of last year it would appear even more club members wanted to come along, Tracey told me that there were 43 of us on site!
Dutchy and Helen were kind enough to offer me a ride down there, we arrived at about 4.00pm and arranged to meet Colin Dobson on site although after speaking to him on my mobile, he had already found the bar and perhaps was not the best guide to lead us to our flats.
After being sent all around the houses by various redcoats we arrived at our flats and Dutchy and I filled the fridge up with beer before anybody could find another use for it. Christina was a little nonplussed when she later tried to find a home for milk, butter, bacon but Dutchy, Chris, Bob and many others were only too willing to help empty the fridge to make space!
Not wishing to repeat the Chinese restaurant adventure of last year, the organised ones had booked us all in to the Pinewood Studios restaurant where we filled two long tables. All fed and watered (and off our face in the case of Maggie), yes, they coped easily with all of us turning up together; we departed for the Friday night entertainment. I chose, together with Dave Jackson, to watch the Yardbirds, Girlschool and T-Rextacy others like Colin, Ian and Julie went to see Deepest Purple and Chicken Shack in the "Reds" bar.
Being old enough to remember when The Yardbirds were in the charts, I was able to sing along with some their stuff but noticed that there was little dancing, us fans getting on a bit perhaps?
Saturday morning and following a splendid breakfast prepared by Bob and Rose, who had somehow found space in our fridge for food, we toddled off to the Olympic sized swimming pool for a splash about. The pool is huge but the only swimming done is to the surface when you exit from the cyclone style flume into a deep pool.
Chris Moore and I tried the cyclone flume three times trying to find the best way to make a dignified exit; we decided in the end that there wasn't one. Also good fun was the boat ride which consisted of one or two people on an inflatable boat going down a plastic tube, I was going to have a go solo but Jackie Lineham from the back of the queue noticed me at the front, ran forward and jumped in the boat with me! Well, it was all a blur and over so soon Jackie!
In the afternoon a few of us walked along the sea front into Bognor, admiring the underground sea front toilets (with their resident drug dealers and paedophile we mused) stopping only for a photo shoot and to stock up with souvenir Bognor fudge and rock.
Saturday evening found us at a sea front Steakhouse all dressed in cowboy and indian outfits. Some, like Colin Dobson, chaps on backwards, poncho, six gun, cigar, the full Clint Eastwood, others, like red beard footmonster Chris Moore, taking a different approach.
Meals were taken all round, again, no problem with numbers and Lee Sykes, after challenging me to an ice cream race, was soundly defeated, although my throat was frozen for the next hour or so.
Saturday night in the Centre Stage was Coghlan's Quo, Hells Bells (AC/DC tribute) and Don Airey & Friends (Don Airey ex Deep Purple). Both Coghlan's Quo and Hells Bells were spot on and those of us not too encumbered with six guns and leather chaps were on the dance floor having a good leap about.
Sunday and people were beginning to feel the effects of heavy drinking and 2.00am bedtimes, several couples leaving the site before the evening bands Tygers of Pan Tang, Classic Whitesnake and Ozzmosis came on stage. Rose and I also got compensated for some paint on our jeans but that's another story, ask our Chairman about it.
Monday morning arrived bright and clear, Helen and Dutchy, Bob and Rose and Chris and Christina having left on Sunday, it just remained for me and Colin to return the keys left with us and wend our way home. A great weekend, and a big thank you to Lee and Tracey Sykes for the arrangements; hopefully we will do it again.