More of Lions - and other things

I have been asked to propose one of the toasts at my Lions Club's charter night. For those who might not know it, the annual charter night (or, nowadays more frequently, charter lunch) is the birthday party of the club. Brighton Lions' charter night is not as posh a do as it used to be when ladies all wore long evening dresses but the majority of the men wear dinner jackets and the ladies choose cocktail dresses. We do things somewhat differently from other clubs (Brighton has always liked to be different) in that our toasts and speeches are , well, idiosyncratic could describe the names and order.   After dinner the first toast is, of course, the Loyal Toast.  Then the President proposes a toast to Lions Clubs International and District 105SE.  Just that - no speech.  The District Governor (or whoever is the official Lions guest) responds and ends by proposing a toast to Brighton Lions Club.  The President then speaks in response to this toast.  The last toast - the one I am to propose - is a bit of a catch-all.  This is to the City of Brighton and Hove, the Ladies and Our Guests.  We have to include the City if the Mayor is to respond - and what Mayor can refuse a free dinner?  He (or she) is always at our Charter night.

I have started giving my speech a little thought - just a little as I still have getting on for two months in which to prepare - and have decided that  must try to work in a quote from Keith Waterhouse about Brighton being a town which looks always as though it is helping the police with their enquiries.

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Looking back I see that both the preceding paragraphs started "I have" and I very nearly started this one the with the same words!

Since some time in 2009 I have been posting daily pictures of Stanmer and Around on another blog.  These pictures have, for the most part, been of the South Downs (including Stanmer Park and woods) just to the north of Brighton, although I have wandered from time to time and included pictures of Brighton itself and even places further afield.  However, from today the two blogs are merged into onw under the "Pebbles" banner and here is the first (or next) photograph.  This is the donkey wheel house in Stanmer village where donkeys at one time walked round to bring up the water.  I do like the weather vane!