As has become a cherished tradition in our Rotary year, members, partners, and guests gathered for a lovely bring-a-dish summer lunch, graciously hosted by PP Richard Kemball-Cook and his wife, Cora, at their beautiful home and yoga studio near Harbledown. We were fortunate to enjoy splendid summer weather as well.
Richard and Cora have kindly hosted several gatherings in the past, including last year’s event with a “Summer Holidays” theme. This year, the theme was “Floral,” with almost everyone embracing this with appropriate attire. Most ladies donned floral dresses or tops, while a multicultural flair was added with one guest in a “kurta” and another in a “saree”. The gentlemen sported colourful floral-print shirts or ties.
Around 30 attendees mingled over drinks in Richard and Cora’s lovely garden before moving indoors to tables set out by our hosts. White flowers hung from the balcony, while a colourful slideshow of garden blooms (from a Rotarian’s garden) was projected to complement the floral theme. A brief tribute was also made to a recently passed gardener who had generously assisted with the garden over the years.
Everyone brought a dish for the lunch – some lovingly homemade, others thoughtfully selected from well-known stores! The wide array of dishes catered to all tastes.
Richard warmly welcomed everyone, including special guests Malini,, Phuong and Katiana, during the meal. He also thanked everyone for bringing such “delicious” food. Special mentions went to Avril’s coronation chicken, Maruthi’s tandoori chicken, and Andrew’s crumble, which are now familiar highlights. Other standout contributions included Martin’s impressive “tear and share” bread, a beautifully-arranged meat platter, as well as an assortment of pasta, noodle, couscous, rice, and chickpea dishes, quiches, and salads. Desserts included a tasty trifle, a pro-level blackberry brûlée, polenta cake, and cheesecake.
Richard drew attention to the flags adorning the walls, reminding us of our Pentangular partnership with four Rotary clubs across Europe: Lüdenscheid (Germany), St Quentin (France), Leiden (Netherlands), and Leuven (Belgium). PP Martin Ward used this moment to update us on this year’s Mini Group Study Exchange (MGSE) students, who set off for Lüdenscheid this weekend, and reminded us that next year it will be OUR turn to host!
Richard also shared some history of his house, originally built in 1870. At one point, when it served as a hotel, it hosted well-known guests including Norman Wisdom, Des O’Connor…and the famous prog-rock band Procol Harum (known for “A Whiter Shade of Pale”). He also mentioned the fascinating discovery of a Thames barge buried in his garden, inviting everyone to explore it afterwards.
Additionally, Richard showed a photo of an iron lung machine and highlighted Rotary’s vital role in combatting polio worldwide through vaccination efforts. Polio has now been eradicated in all but two countries, though recent reports have indicated traces of the virus found in Gaza. In the photo, we could see PP Geoff Goodban, PP Robert Boyd-Howell (who had joined us for the lunch), and Richard himself.
President-Elect Raj Dasan also expressed gratitude to everyone for attending and thanked our kind hosts, Richard and Cora. All-in-all, it was a lovely gathering and another opportunity to strengthen friendships.
Our sincere thanks once again to our hosts, Richard and Cora Kemball-Cook, and to all who contributed food or helped with setting up the event.
Picture: Everyone gathers around the table to enjoy the meal. Picture credit: Rotary Club of Canterbury.
More pictures are available on our Facebook page.
