July 2017 – Race Night

CNYC members always maintain a keen sense of competition.  This was proved, once again, at the July gathering, when members, Liz and Paul Spencer, hosted a bring-and-share supper at their beautiful own-build home in Chipping Norton.  To add a certain zest to the evening, Paul, himself a dedicated ‘petrol-head’, threw an ‘all-comers’ challenge to his guests to prove themselves, or otherwise, on his Scalextric track – a permanent feature in Liz and Paul’s garden summerhouse.  So, in the convenient break between main course and dessert, Paul organised us into a knockout, with the fastest car to 20 laps around the twists and turns of the track, being the winner of each heat.  Finally, we were down to the two heat champions, and Helen Reilly and Phil Levermore went head-to-head in a simple race to the finish.  Despite the contestants swapping cars halfway through, Helen built-up an impressive lead and stormed across the finish line to receive, both a bottle of single malt and, more importantly of course, the winner’s laurels.

Afterwards we retired back to the house where Liz provided us with generous portions of her famous Eton Mess.  Tales of summer sailing were shared until late in the evening over a glass, or several.

PL