Christmas Spit Braai 2005
Occasion : Nomads Christmas Spit Braai
Date : Friday 16th December 2005
Venue : Jaggers Bowling Club
December 16th has been had many a title, from Dingaan’s Day to Day of the Covenant to Day of the Vow and now to it’s present form which is used in modern history – Day of Reconciliation. But whatever you chose to call December 16th, it still remains a public holiday (lucky us) and we have our forefathers to thank for that! So what do we do on a normal run of the mill public holiday? – we meet at Jaggers Bowling Club for our annual Christmas get together and celebrate in style with “Spit-Braai King”.
This was the brainwave of Vice Chairman Kevin Farrow who suggested we try the lads from “Spit-Braai King”, who had on previous occasion come across their antics on cooking a lamb most successfully. But firstly the foundations had to be laid, and this was left to Social Secretary Lizl Todd who set about making sure the indoor tables at Jaggers were suitably adorned with Christmas attire. White clothes covered with a strip of ivy green crinkle paper surrounded by Christmas crackers and gold tinsel greeted the Nomads and their guests on arrival. Lizl had helping hands from Robert, Wesley and Kevin. But you know, good help is just so hard to find these days, and so it was left to a fastidious Lizl to overcorrect the planting of the Christmas crackers so that each Father Christmas lay the right way up – which left the tables looking really good!
Inside the bar, things were looking lively with the barmen darting in and out making sure those beers would be cold enough for the onslaught of Nomads expected. Outside on the patio “Spit-Braai King” had set up their machinery promising a whole lamb in just 120 minutes? The weatherwoman had predicted 60% chance of rain, and that’s exactly what we got. 60% enough just to keep one undercover and mess up the car that had been previously washed that morning.
At around three in the afternoon, most Nomads/guests/visitors had arrived and Jaggers was abuzz. By this time the lads from “Spit-Braai King” had changed into their serving attire, removed the plastic protection from the salads and announced that lunch would now be served. Whilst I don’t indulge in red meat, it was pretty clear that judging from the plates at the table, this meal was going down a treat! Spit lamb (or roast chicken), roast baby potatoes, roast baby onions, sliced garlic bread and an array of well prepared salads filled the plates. Of course one was invited to go back for seconds which most folk succumbed to. The pulling of Christmas crackers caused much hilarity as they were filled with the usual plastic gumpf, feeble jokes and insipid jigsaws.
After lunch, the braai lads cleared the tables, tidied up outside and within the hour had reversed their trailer out of the parking bay biding one and all a merry Christmas. Kevin had come well prepared bearing gifts aplenty not only to auction, but for lucky draws too – and so the games began.
First up was the American Auction which offered a bottle of Bayley’s won by Siobhan Dunn, then a presentation of fancy imported chocolates won by visitor Dirkie’s daughter, and last but not least a bottle of Chevas Regal won by 2005 Club Captain Sue James! Next up was the lucky draw and the following folk went away with a gift:
Hans, Roy, Pat, Gary, Jenny, Slappers, Gwen, Chris, Sharon, Sue, Alex, Tracey Lee, Steven, Anja, Sandra, CJ, Mike, Yvonne, Mary, Gill and both the Potgieter youngsters.
After tallying up the amount made during the auction, Denise and George from DG’s Pub in Richwood offered to match that same amount if Nomads would do the same? What an incredibly kind offer which was duly snapped up and a cheque to value just over two thousand rand would be delivered to St Josephs Home in Pallotti Road. Well quite frankly after all that anything would then appear as an anticlimax, so it was actually time to leave and go home, it was after all close to seven and we’d been there from one.
What a wonderful afternoon! What a fabulous spit braai. Thanks must go to Lizl and Santa’s helper Wesley who really sticks with his mum and aides her as much as possible, great little team you have their Lizl. To Kevin who so kindly donated the auction and lucky draw gifts. Special thanks to Denise and George (DG’s Pub in Richwood) for suggesting and coming to the fore with their donation to St Josephs Home.
