Social Reports 2025

 

 

 

 

JOINT EACC/YSC SOCIAL

Saturday the 18th January, 2025

Joe E and Cally at Holywood Bowl

 

Organised by Julia Kilner, the annual YSC/EACC social evening this year was held at Riverside in Norwich on Saturday the 18th of January, nicely close to the river Wensum and, conveniently for some, the railway station. Starting with a game of ten-pin bowling at the Hollywood Bowl and followed by a meal at the Queen of Iceni, the large, very busy Wetherspoons pub just 50 metres away.

Fourteen members from the two clubs turned up for the event, gathering in the lively meeting area of the Hollywood Bowl where, surrounded by enthusiastic (and quite loud) young people, we spent a very pleasant half hour chatting and catching up while waiting for our two VIP bowling lanes to be available. VIP lanes? Well of course! Curtained off from the madding crowd, the party split naturally into two groups whilst those not taking part in the actual bowling took seats at the back to observe. It became apparent quite quickly that none of us were naturally talented at this particular form of sport, and in fact some of the ineptitude on display (and I very much include myself in that description) was quite spectacular. The word of the night was 'gutter'. 

Joint Social Bowling 1Joint Social Bowling 2

The group containing Joe Ebbage scored considerably more highly than the group I was in and was the highest scorer overall, and Cally, much to her surprise, was the highest scorer in our little group. We may have been a bit rubbish but it was jolly good fun and enjoyed by everyone.

Joint Social in Spoons 1The next part of the evening was the challenge of Wetherspoons, a pub group that splits opinion but does what it does efficiently and inexpensively. Being unable to book tables meant that our arrival was a little disjointed and required a certain amount of lateral thinking. Downstairs the pub was heaving, and upstairs almost every table seemed to have been taken. There was a certain amount of dismay amongst the party, even some suggestions of trying to find an alternative venue, a tricky ask at 8pm on a Saturday night. However, as these discussions were taking place amidst a good deal of milling about, one of our number, who shall be nameless, came to the rescue. Calling on their Broads boating experience and utilising the 'mooring badly' approach when a group cruise is trying to fit a dozen boats onto a popular mooring spot,  bagged firstly the one small free table, and then, somehow, using all that renowned River Cruiser Class guile, persuaded first one couple, then a small group and then another to move tables until, behold! a table for fourteen had miraculously appeared. The assembled party sat, made a note of their various table numbers, shunned the 'app' and proceeded to the bar to order drinks and food, which appeared in good time. A pleasant evening ensued, with some jocularity over the bowling, some updates on various boat maintenance progress, a few jokes and a few pints sunk. Regrettably Cally and I needed to catch the 21:15 train to Wroxham (the alternative is the 23:15, way past our bedtime!) so we were forced to make our excuses. As far as we are aware the evening continued in good humour and all were content, so many thanks to Julia for a very jolly evening.

See you on the water!

Jo Edye, Sun Glory II