What a Giggle!

As we have often said, we know when to let our hair down. Monday, February 22 was no exception when we filled a long table of members and friends at the Giggling Squid Thai restaurant in the High Street.

No speeches – well, just one (see special panel) when president Ed presented Peter Greene with a Paul Harris Fellowship.  Mike and Sue Ginn, and Jan and Trevor Bond “chaired” one end of the table with Nick Sillitoe and wife, Jane, from the Rotary Club of Billericay Mayflower, Basildon’s Peter Townsend and wife Lesley, and old friend Don Smith, also from Basildon.

Conversation flowed at our end as it will have done all along the assembled lines. Nick, who will be District Governor in two year’s time, regaled us with tales of his moving from Waitrose in Bishops Stortford to manage the newly-opened Billericay branch.  Now retired, he admits he came in with some “fresh” ideas which “seemed to go down well at the time”. He is now also a member of The Bench, a magistrate at Basildon and Southend (some comparison exchanges made with our own Patrick Rothon, three places along on the table, who sits at Chelmsford).

Nick told us: “I sit mostly on family cases involving parental disagreements. Most times it is as simple as suggesting they go outside, knock their heads together and agree. It often works.”

Between us we discussed train journeys we have loved (what else when you sit  with Mike Ginn), West Ham United and the move to the Olympic Stadium in August, travel and, above all, the great relationship the two Billericay Rotary clubs now share.  How delighted we are to share such exchanges with our Rotary friends.   If conversation in the middle and at the other end of the table was as amusing and as interesting, as the saying goes: A good time was had by all.

From someone who has never tasted the delights of Thai food, I could not believe the volume, the options and above all, the delicacy.  Fitting dishes piled high with duck, chicken, beef, prawns and noodles took much manoeuvring of glasses, plates, water jugs – a real challenge! Speaking for our small section, Jan loved it, Mike Ginn couldn’t resist keeping dipping into the chicken curry and Nick ate for all of us.  Verdict: Delicious!

Restaurant staff were brilliant, atmosphere great. A superb night out. Our thanks to Mike Ginn for arranging.  Five stars, Mike.