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Wet And Windy But Plenty Of Hot Air (SelenaR)
Saturday
At the Winter Meet at Coniston there were a few boats - the hard core had brought theirs but because it blew and blew and rain streamed through the car park, most remained upside down on top of their vehicles. However, it is reported that a contingent of THREE managed to get Penny & PeterO's Mad River Canoe on the water and Peter and Penny, with the undaunted JohnS, enjoyed a paddle, but the sail stayed down.
Thanks are due to SueB, who very ably chaired the members' forum held at 11am. The chairman introduced Sue and then retired to the committee meeting that had been in progress since 10am. The matters discussed at the forum are presented later in this issue.
10th Anniversary dinner
The staff at the Priestly Centre had laid on a good spread, with plenty for meat eaters and vegetarians alike. This was a DIY meal and we all served ourselves from the gigantic buffet available. Food was so plentiful that very many had Sunday lunch out of it. The Chairman, DougF, presided, and at the end of the meal produced a 10th Anniversary cake, so large that again we needed Sunday elevenses and lunch to finish it off. The iced cake, complete with our logo, had 10 candles and Doug invited the youngest member present, OliverP, to blow them out. He then thanked individually all the retiring Committee, welcomed the incoming Committee and thanked KeithM for his hard work in organising the weekend.
It was then time by tradition to invite the Commodore JohnB to present the trophies and address the members present. The coveted OCA trophy was awarded to JohnE, who was present, and the OCSG Annual Trophy was awarded to WalterG, who unfortunately, at 24 hours notice, was unable to be present. It is usual to award the Iceberg Trophy at the dinner but it was not awarded this year. The Commodore kept us entertained with anecdotes on the various meetings and provided some wise words to provoke food for thought.
Proceedings concluded just after 9pm and we adjourned (after washing up) to the lounge, where we consumed the remains of the excellent drinks party of earlier in the evening. RodL in his usual style had persuaded most to part with money in exchange for raffle tickets, and the draw was made for some excellent prizes donated by members present. As at most meets, the evening was rounded off with the usual talk of boats and sailing.
Sunday
Sunday dawned wet and windy, and, whilst the committee had another meeting, the group were entertained by MarieB, Selena and ChrisR, who gave a demonstration of just what can be cooked on a camp stove. Cakes had been pre-baked in an 'Outback Oven', available from a company called 'Traveling Light', and completely portable. Marie made Scotch pancakes on a homemade griddle, Chris made soda bread using a ring-mould (to avoid a hard and burnt bottom) and Selena made pizza in the Outback Oven. Everyone viewed gadgets such as a portable firebox (much better than a ring of stones and scorched ground); Volcano kettle, which can be used to boil water, cook fish and many other delicacies; nesting mess tins to make bread on a gas stove; and ideas for getting a fire lit when you need some warmth. The point of the demonstration was to show that cooking in camp does not have to be just spaghetti bolognaise, but can include those luxuries that are so nice when you are on holiday.
The oven, for example, as well as baking things could be used to reheat things such as pasties or pies, or how about cooking those part-baked rolls for that fresh bread taste? Many ideas were discussed, such as doing pizza in the frying pan - cook one side, turn it over and add topping, put a lid on the frying pan to bake the topping on the top. Or, as an alternative to a proprietary oven, why not experiment with steam? Place a grid in the bottom of the pan and pour in some water. Place cake mix in a roasting bag and keep it steaming on a low heat until the cake feels firm. I am sure many of you have recipes and ideas for things you have tried at camp - please send in details of your experimentations to the editor.
Once all the eating was over, those with long journeys made their way towards the motorway. It had been a good weekend.
Book Review - Vom Schwarzwald zum Schwarzen Meer (GrahamH)
Eine Kajakfahrt donauabwärts
(From the Black Forest to the Black Sea. A kayak journey down the Danube)
Otto Protzen; 253pp., 70 illustrations, a kayak plan and a map; Braunschweig, Germany, 1922.
Tony Ford, the mainstay of the Historic Canoe and Kayak Association, has kindly sent me a copy of this book, which describes a remarkable canoe journey in the summer of 1917 by an elderly, retired officer of the Imperial German Navy, undertaken to publicise the importance of the Danube for Germany, as the author saw it, when the war was over. Germany had been able, for three years, to survive the allied blockade only with the help of grain supplies shipped up the Danube, and Protzen believed that the Danube could both give Germany access to world trade that was not threatened
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