Thorpeness 2019
Venerables’ Thorpeness Tour 2019
A smaller party gathered this year. Small but perfectly formed.
As is the custom most met at the White Hart in Aldeburgh for social discourse and a wet before enjoying the five star fish and chips from the next door chippie in the very fine White Hart garden with overhead heaters turned on for us. Russ true to form arrived in the bar too late to buy anybody a drink and joined us in the garden with his scoff.
Thence to Thorpeness to enjoy the challenge with perhaps a rumbling or two of battered cod and Ghostship in a few venerable tums.
Dry the first day, but as the forecast for Wednesday was predicted to be made for Noah, it was decided to play for the Bill Cook on the Tuesday afternoon when all competitors were starters rather than on the second day. Colin played well to win.
Second day biblical flood but we managed to put back our tee time twice, and the field were finally off with gusto at 1.30pm. New knee Parkes and the wise elder Howarth journeyed into Aldeburgh to enjoy the highlights, and Bernard rested his old bones. The field got damp at times and one feels for Paddy who won on the day but only received a bottle of budget wine rather than the Bill Cook whistle.
Third day dry. Unfortunately Paddy reported in sick with a bandaged wrist due to too much wine glass lifting and went home for sympathy. Mrs Bakers boy showed his class and came in with a magnificent score to ensure his name once again goes on the Ken Brothwell Trophy for the best two scores from three. A brief mention of Peter Howarth finally finding his ball on the 17th in the hole to record an eagle two and the nearest the pin in two. A blind five wood we are told!
Thanks are due to Alan for Tour organisation and pics. Bernard for his ongoing gentlemanly competition organisation. Eagle Pete for wine and whip duties. Steve for presentations. And everybody for making this another enjoyable and memorable trip.
Alan presiding over the first tee
Out on the course
Dinner yum yum
PRIZES
DAY 1 Playing for the Bill Cook Memorial Trophy
1st Colin Edge 32pts
2nd David Baker 30pts
3rd Tony Eggs 24pts
DAY 2
1st Paddy Keane 27pts
2nd John Charman 25pts
3rd Colin Edge 24pts
DAY 3
1st David Baker 34pts
2nd Paul Kidman 24pts C/B
3rd John Charman 24pts C/B
Nearest the Pin on the 7th. John Charman
Nearest the Pin in 2 on the 17th Peter Howarth ( His second shot finishing in the hole for an eagle)
The best two scores from three rounds and playing for the Ken Brothwell Trophy.
1st David Baker 64 pts
2nd Colin Edge 56 pts
3rd Paddy Keane 49 pts
Below Steve Truckle presenting Colin Edge with The Bill Cook Trophy & David Baker with the Ken Brothwell Trophy
Thorpeness 2018
Food and accommodation could not be faulted. Staff were very attentive and the ambience of the old club house remains.The 2018 Thorpeness party was blessed with superb weather for the whole three days of the trip.As is the custom we met at the White Hart in Aldeburgh for a small libation to appease the golfing gods and ensure a par or two. This was followed by the rather special fish and chip lunch which we enjoyed this year in the White Hart Garden. Those that quaffed a glass of white with their fish toasted Jim and Wiktor who we sorely missed even at this early part of the Tour. Thence to Thorpeness to be greeted by a magnificent rebuilt first tee just waiting for a Vens divot or two.
The course was in excellent condition being tough but fair if one hits it straight and plays within one’s limitations.
Overall our golf was good for some and less good for others but on reflection having played a top-notch course we have once again enjoyed the overall experience on the course and even more off it.
Thanks to Alan for organising the Tour and taking up the snappers role. To Mervyn for daily draws and competition results assisted in no small way by Bernard. To Peter Howarth for wine/prize kitty management and wine selection. To Tony Leigh for undertaking the Skippers role and keeping some semblance of order.
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The Thorpeness Party
Tuesday Evening – Day One
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Tuesday – Day one results
2nd David Baker 29 pts
1st Steve Truckle 35 pts and winner of the Green Jacket.
Tony presenting 2nd place to David Baker Tony presenting 1st place to Steve Truckle
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The Golfers – Day Two
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Day Two At Dinner
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| Below Merv reading day two results & day three pairing |
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Wednesday Day Two Results
2nd Tony Leigh 27 pts,
1st David Baker 33pts and Winner of the Bill Cook Memorial Trophy and Green Jacket.
Below Top Picture Steve Truckle presenting Green Jacket to David Baker
Above picture showing 2nd place Tony Leigh, and 1st place David Baker
Thursday Day Three Results
3rd Alan Parkes 22 pts ocb – 2nd Mickey Breedon 25 pts ocb
1st Merv Cooke 25 pts ocb and winner of the Green Jacket.
Nearest Pin 7th hole Paul Kidman; Sadly nearest the pin in 2 on the 17th was not achieved!
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Above Top pic winner day 3 Merv Cooke – Above Bottom pic Merv receiving the Green Jacket
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Top picture 2nd place Micky Breedon with 25 pts OCB
Bottom left Picture Nearest Pin 7th hole Paul Kidman
Bottom picture 3rd place Alan Parkes 22 pts ocb
OVERALL WINNERS – Best 2 out 3 scores:
2nd overall David Baker with 62 pts
1st overall Steve Truckle with 63 pts and winner of the Ken Brothwell trophy
Below Tony Leigh presenting the Ken Brothwell Trophy to Steve Truckle
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Thorpeness 2017
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| Once again we meet for three great days at Thorpeness – starting off in Aldeburgh at the White Hart followed by the legendary Fish and Chips consumed with choice wines on the sea front. Then to Thorpeness to check in and the first day’s golf. The weather was generally unkind for the remaining days, but the the ambience, food and great company more than made up for it. Many thanks to Alan Parkes for organising the tour, to Merv Cooke and Bernard Brown for managing the golf and to skipper Dave Watts for overseeing us all. Thanks to photographers Mickey Breedon, Peter Wildblood and Andrew Wyatt and also to birthday boys Tony Eggs and Jim Dempster for providing the wine, well selected by Peter Howarth. |
| THE GROUP |
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| ALDEBURGH WELCOME AT WHITE HART |
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| ALDEBURGH FAMOUS FISH AND CHIPS |
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| THE GOLFERS |
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| THORPENESS GOLF |
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| BACK IN THE CLUBHOUSE |
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| AT DINNER – with a great grace from Cyril |
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| DAY 1 WINNERS |
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First David Baker with 31 pts & green jacket. Second Tony Leigh with 29 pts . – Third John Charman with 26 pts ocb. |
| DAY 2 WINNERS |
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| Top. First Peter Robbins 32 pts & green jacket. Second Tony Eggs 29 pts Third Colin Edge 25 pts ocb. |
| Bottom. Bill Cook Memorial Trophy Winner David Baker 29 pts ocb. |
| DAY 3 |
| CAPTAIN DAVE AND COMPETITION SECRETARY MERV SUM UP |
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| Paddy Keane nearest pin 7th hole. Dave Watts nearest pin in two 17th hole |
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| First Andrew Wyatt 28 pts. Second Merv Cooke 27 pts. Third Mike Tillett 25 pts. |
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| Tony Eggs winner of the Brothwell Trophy and green jacket (36 pts on day 3).
Best 2 rounds out of 3 – Tony Eggs 65 pts, – 2nd David Baker 60 pts, Tony Leigh 55 pts. |
| MISCELLANEOUS PICS |
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Thorpeness 2016
A fine tour with both good and abysmal golf, superb weather, excellent food and great company. Many thanks to all who contributed to make the three days such an enjoyable event, particularly Alan Parkes for arranging and managing the tour (also the quiz) and Merv Cooke for organising the golf ably assisted by Bernard Brown. Thanks to Tony Eggs for providing wine at dinner on his birthday – he went on to be the tour champion. Also thanks to captain Richard Gardner for overseeing our activities, to Peter Wildblood for organising the finances, to Peter Howarth for selecting the wines, to John Searle for providing some wine on 1st night and to photographers Mickey Breedon, Peter Wildblood and Andrew Wyatt.
THE GROUP
L to R * : Jim Dempster, Andrew Wyatt, Peter Robbins, Bernard Brown, Alan Parkes, David Baker, Steve King, Ken Hart, Peter Howarth, John Charman, Dave Watts, Peter Hill, Wiktor Bakiewicz, Mike Tillett, Graham Kipping, Tony Eggs, Mickey Breedon, John Searle, Richard Gardner, Peter Wildblood, Paddy Keane, Colin Edge, Dave Sephton, Mervyn Cooke, Paul Kidman. * You could need a T square and a set square to sort out L to R – Ken Hart will know.
FISH CHIPS CHABLIS AND PINOT GRIGIO ON THE SEA FRONT
THE GOLFERS
ON THE FIRST TEE (Alan Parkes, bottom left, is swinging his crutch and not a golf club)
THE COURSE
THE ABSTAINERS AND SMOKED PRAWNS IN ALDEBURGH
IN THE CLUBHOUSE
AT THE TABLES
MERVYN SORTS OUT THE TEAMS AND ORDER OF PLAY
TUESDAY’S WINNERS
Top: First, John Searle, with his Green Jacket. Bottom: Second, Tony Eggs. Third, Dave Watts.
WEDNESDAY’S WINNERS
Top: First, Paddy Keane with his Green Jacket, also winner of the Bill Cook Memorial Trophy. Bottom: Second, David Baker. Third, Graham Kipping.
THURSDAY’S WINNERS
Top: First, Peter Robbins. Middle: Second, Mickey Breedon. Third, Paul Kidman. Bottom: Longest Drive 14th, Ken Hart. Nearest Pin 2nd, Bernard Brown. Nearest Pin in Two,17th, Dave Sephton.
OVERALL WINNER TONY EGGS
As skipper Richard Gardner mentioned in his closing speech, the spirit of the Venerables was well demonstrated by those who were not able to play but nevertheless came on the Tour.