In December 2002 Mike Moran, talking with friends, came up with the notion of a lunch to celebrate England's
national day, St George's Day. Just as the Irish, Welsh and Scots acknowledge their own patron saints, Mike wanted to
celebrate St George and England. The result was the inaugural St George's Day Luncheon, held in a Chiswick restaurant
with 40 or so guests in attendance.
After lunch, special guests Stuart Barnes and Dewi Morris, from Sky Sports rugby,
hosted a light-hearted, interesting and informative Q&A session.
This first event was such a success that a
bigger venue was needed for 2004, taking us to 'The Wharf' in Teddington. This riverside venue hosted over 100
guests, with comedian Joe Goodman and Peter Scrivener of London Wasps providing the post-lunch entertainment. Joe's mix
of old school one-liners combining well with Peter's tales from the rugby world.
In 2005 and 2006, numbers swelled still
further with 140 guests enjoying an entertaining afternoon and attracting friends and guests from all
over the UK and some from even further afield.
Every
year the St George's Day lunch seems to get better and better and 2007 was no exception. Over 200 guests enjoyed the majestic surroundings of the world-famous Cafe Royal. MC
Peter Scrivener opened and then host Mike Moran announced
the winner of the inaugural 'George
of the Year' award. Next up, Martin Bayfield
provided the entertainment, and finally a rousing sing-song brought the afternoon to a close. |
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2007 and 2008 saw a change of venue and style, with Frankie's Bar& Grill hosting the
events in Chiswick, the lunch’s spiritual home. Comics Ian Irving, 2008, and Adger Brown, last year, provided
the entertainment and both proved hugely popular. A number of the guest will remember Ian's performance for a long time
and are unlikely to heckle future comedians!
Again over 120 guests attended the lunches and in 2007 the 'George
of the Year' award went to Brian Sheridan of Bang & Olufsen. Last April Preview Design's Chris Coughlan
picked up the tankard and both fully deserved the recognition for their long-standing supporters of the St George's
Day Lunch.
We have also continued to support deserving charities; in 2008 our donation went to
the National Autism Society and in '09 we were proud to contribute to the 'Help for Heroes' charity which works
to provide aid for wounded service personnel.
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