Celebrating with Dublin Club
16 members President Ken and Gilly, PE Ronnie McLean, VP Claire Savage, PP Albert & Mabel Baird, PP Derek Baxter, PP David & Jenny Boyd, PP Bryan Byers, PP Bryan Ferguson, Hilary Gault, John McCleery, Billy McCoubrey, PP Alan Rundle, Ronnie Porter, Ken Taylor, Chris Warnock and Denis Wilson visited the Dublin Club for their special Aston Martin 100th and James Bond 50th lunch at the Grand Canal Hotel Monday 25 November 2013. Several Dublin Club members' Aston Martin cars were on display in the forecourt which were greatly admired before moving into lunch preceded by a Martini cocktail.
Reflecting the James Bond theme, many Dublin Club members and some Belfast members, including President Ken, dressed appropriately with dinner suits and black ties. The ladies also reflected the theme, Maura O'Neill appearing as Miss Moneypenny (centre of picture left), Pamela O'Loughlin and Bernadette Mulvey as Bond girls and our own 'Russian spy' – VP Claire Savage.
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Dublin President Derek Griffith welcomed the Club members and partners who were introduced by the Sergeant At Arms, Brian George. President Ken replied that the Club were very pleased to be there keeping the 100 year connection between the clubs going and that he hoped to see Dublin in Belfast next year. A Belfast Club Centenary Book and Dublin Club Centenary tie were duly exchanged.
There were two speakers William Klinnsman, Secretary Aston Martin Owners Club who gave a short history of Aston Martin including the anecdote that in Newport Pagnel, where Prince Charles gets his Aston Martin serviced, they noticed that each time the car was in they found sugar in the cigarette tray. Intrigued, they enquired to find he keeps sugar lumps for the horses in it – so at the next service they replaced it with a specially made sugar holder. Dublin Club member Oisin Murphy was an excellent James Bond stating that he was: 45 like Daniel Craig, Irish like Pierce Brosnan and was, like George Lazenby, only going to do this once! The meeting concluded with a cheque from The Rotary Club, Dublin being handed over for £5,000 for ShelterBox.
3 Club members were fortunate in the draw to drive a Charles Hurst Aston Martin – VP Claire Savage, Ronnie Porter and Chris Warnock. The rest of the party went on a visit to Leinster House all returning on the 4.50pm train having had a most enjoyable day of fellowship. It was a great event and some of the lucky drivers are still in orbit!
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