The ‘final list’ for the Centenary Golf Match included eleven names, though two hard-working British businessmen had to cancel at the last minute due to pressure of work.
A General Meeting, chaired by the Society’s President, Sir Stephen Gomersall (Queens’ Cambridge 1966), was held at the New Hall, British Embassy on Thursday, 13th March, 2003, starting at 6:30 p.m.
This was, as far as we know, only the Society’s second official bōnenkai (year-end party), the first having taken place on 27 December 2000 at Hokkaido in Shinjuku. Both events were extremely successful, so it seems likely that a bōnenkai will become a regular feature of the Society’s programme in future.
The day dawned fine and clear, with a gentle breeze, for the dozen participants at the Society’s third and final golf outing of the year. The venue was Kyo Country Club, close to Narita Airport — in fact so close that at times a well-flighted approach shot appeared capable of causing a major international incident.
C&O Poolside Party hosted by the New Chairman
Dr and Mrs Barraclough’s residence
Minooka-dori 4-5-3, Nada-ku, Kobe
(10–15 minutes’ walk from Hankyu Oji-Koen Station, last house on the left)
The rather peculiarly named Agnes Hotel (the owner's name spelt backwards, apparently) came with strong recommendations from the British Chamber of Commerce in Japan, so we booked it without hesitation for our March dinner. It's a small, elegant, modern place, and the high-ceilinged "Agnes Hall" fitted our needs perfectly. One felt that the manager and his staff had gone out of their way to provide us with good homely fare of a high standard at an extremely reasonable price (\5,500 including drinks - the menu is attached below).
"Cambridge romp home"
This year's Spring Golf Match took place in balmy Spring weather at the Taiheiyo Club, Gotemba Course, on Saturday, 16th March 2002, and was kindly organised by Guy Heald (Queens', Cambridge). The Cambridge's best four beat Oxford's by 30 (net) strokes thus bringing the abridged (records prior to 1989 are not available) history of the Varsity match to Cambridge 9, Oxford 10.
November is a busy month in Japan but nonetheless a goodly number of members (28) graced the Society's lunch on the 21st held in the New Hall of the British Embassy. Also present were a few guests (5) and, very happily, two "returnees", Mr Martin Blakeway (Trinity, Cambridge) and Mr John Brodie (Christ Church, Oxford). It was a brilliant late autumn day outside and within both wine and conversation flowed. Jane Cooke produced one of her excellent lunches (good English fare, though a lasagna lurked and at which Ms Doreen Simmons [Girton, Cambridge] was seen looking suspiciously).
For many years the C&O annual golf tournament has continued to take place in early summer at Hodogaya Country Club thanks to the kind invitation of Mr Hidehiro Takaki (Gonville & Caius, Cambridge 1927) and other members. In 1998 and 99, a winter golf match also took place and in 2000, three golf matches were played in February, June and November. The C&O Presidents have always managed to take time out of their busy schedules and participated in each game.
Hiroo's La Bisboccia must be one of the finest Italian restaurants in Tokyo, and it has long been a regular venue for C&O lunches. Apart from the excellent cuisine, a definite attraction from our point of view is that it isn't open to the public for lunch, which means that our boisterous presence doesn't bother anyone else. The meeting on 22nd February was actually rather less boisterous than usual as numbers were low: only thirteen members and two guests. There were no new members to be introduced, but no no-shows, either.