Gloucestershire Region
Events in the Gloucestershire region are organised by Alastair Scott.
Lunch to Celebrate the Year of the Dragon - Wednesday 28th February 2024
‘Good gracious, it must be the best part of 50 years since we last met!’. It was the conversations like this that both accompanied the feeding of the 5000 (OK, 27) who gathered to welcome the Dragon, and also resulted in the town’s parking meters having repeatedly to be fed because those conversations seemed unstoppable. Meanwhile, the Golden Mountain’s delicious dishes – and the odd bottle of Tsing Tao beer – just disappeared, were replenished and then disappeared again.
Most of those there were faithful regulars, but even they had no difficulty in finding new HK-centric connections; and it was splendid to have a good smattering of first-timers, who provided new and different kinds of experiences and insights.
Tom Wright, our illustrious Chairman, putting in his umpteenth and always very welcome appearance, reminded us of the characteristics – all favourable - of those born in the Year of the Dragon (though there were curiously few who were prepared to claim to be 12/24/36/48/60 or even 72 years old). Cleverly, he found that there were reasons for optimism this year for pretty much everybody else as well. Opportunities also for Hong Kong and for the Hong Kong Society. Reading the HK Financial Secretary’s Budget statement, delivered that very day, leaves one weak with admiration for the ambition of the SAR. And the Society also has big ideas on which to work.
For the Convenor of the Gloucestershire Branch, it was pleasant (but also slightly alarming) to be asked repeatedly when the next gathering will be. It used to be quite a gentle role when an annual lunch was sufficient and we had not heard of TikTok; now the appetite is hungrier. But, fear not, there will be no Mission Statement, no sub-committees, no social media marketing, no business plan even. We all know that all that is needed is our abiding affection for the place that gave us all so much – not only memories, not only happy and prosperous years, but also (in more than one case) a spouse!! Thanks to Hong Kong – what a place!
Mid-Autumn Festival Lunch - Wednesday 4th October 2023
The moon was not quite at its fullest on 4 October, but supplies of mooncakes enabled us to make believe, and a lantern or two reinforced the feeling that celebrating Mid-Autumn festival on that date was a close-enough approximation. And celebrate we certainly did, with The Royal Oak in Prestbury living up to its reputation among members of the HK Society as an excellent venue for this sort of gathering. It was, in fact the tenth anniversary of the first lunch there – and about a quarter of those who attended in 2013 were also in evidence this time; but there was also a significant cohort of first-timers …. both equally welcome, together also (of course) with everyone who fell into neither category.
Tom Wright and Lindsay Jones joined forces to update us on the recent doings of, and future plans for, the Society. Of particular interest is the planned pivot to using the HK Business Network to help incoming HKers to build new business and other networks; and also to continue to work towards making the HK Society less London-centric.
And Prof Robert Bickers, Head of the Hong Kong History Centre at Bristol University – pretty much the only academic unit in the UK that focusses specifically on Hong Kong’s history – told us about its role and objectives. He had also just returned from a visit to the territory, and was reassuring about the current situation – including the aftermath of two violent weather storms. Robert is, of course, the author of the corporate history of the Swire group – together with a number of other books about HK/China.
There seemed to be a distinct reluctance among attendees to leave the lunch – so, same time next year?
Lunch to Celebrate Springtime in the Year of the Rabbit - Wednesday 19th April 2023
Being away for a chunk of time at the beginning of 2023 meant that I could not organise a Chinese New Year lunch to welcome in the Year of the Rabbit. However two things happened: it occurred to me that there was no reason why we should not celebrate in the Spring instead; and Martin Reynolds offered to help – bravo!
So, we assembled in mid-April at the aptly-named Golden Mountain Restaurant in Cheltenham (again).… and I should mention that those with HK ties - emotional, historical or whatever - who are now living in and around Gloucestershire really do like assembling – it’s not so much ‘any excuse’ as a feeling that worthwhile bonds should be nurtured. Consequently, there were 28 of us (of whom six were first-timers), and the usual batch of ‘goodness, don’t I know you’ moments. Tom Wright – who pretty much qualifies for life membership of the Gloucestershire Chapter on account of faithful attendance - brought us up-to-date with where the Society is at and where it’s going ……… and subsequently described the lunch as ‘a cracking event’: if he says so, it must have been. Certainly the food was just as it should be – thanks to the restaurant staff – and certainly the atmosphere was excellent – thanks to all who attended and made it such a seasonal success. The hurdle for the future has now been raised - again!
Autumn Lunch - Wednesday 7th September 2022
Until a couple of days before our lunch, I had been looking forward to saying that, once again, we had more people attending than on any previous occasion. This was not (quite) to be, but 33 is a pretty respectable number – considerably more than the number of Gloucestershire-based memberships, in fact! In any case, it was nice to be back at The Royal Oak after three years - though some of us had gathered in February to celebrate Chinese New Year, some in May to visit the gardens at Rockcliffe (see separate report), and some in June for the Cheltenham Ladies’ College leavers’ concert. But there were a good number of people with us for the first time.
HKS members are not - of course! - a rowdy lot, but there was a very satisfactory level of noisy meetings and greetings – including a couple of surprises. Tom Wright valiantly took on the task of standing in for Martin Barrow to tell us about why we should be optimistic about Hong Kong, and why we should re-visit so as to reassure (and enjoy) ourselves – and even more valiantly agreed to take some questions. Lindsay Jones outlined the general direction in which the Society will be moving. And Chris Maden generously donated six copies of his new book, Price’s Price, to be raffled – so a good number of us are enjoying the exploits of the eponymous Stanley Price in Hong Kong in the 1980s.
So, thanks to all who, by being there, made the event work so well ………and thoughts will now need to turn to what comes next!
Visit to Rockcliffe - Thursday 19th May 2022
Way back in 2019, Emma & Simon Keswick were good enough to suggest that I assemble a group of local HK Society members for a visit to their gardens at Rockcliffe, near Stow-on-the-Wold. Covid intervened, of course, but eventually the virus relented sufficiently for the trip to go ahead, two years later. Actually, not only did the virus relent, but so also did the weather: perfect sunshine on the day.
The twenty-five of us who gathered came unanimously to the view that the gardens are really very special. These were created over a period of 40 years by Emma Keswick, essentially by carving them out of farmland, and they now constitute a wonderful variety of the formal and the informal, of colours and of textures, and of the practical and the decorative. The Keswicks’ Head Gardener guided us on an excellent tour, and was happy to answer endless questions – almost until the cows came home!
We had a lovely tea on the patio, and were introduced by Emma to their favourite charity, to which donations were happily made. Altogether a memorable day – and many thanks to our hosts.
Lunch to Celebrate the Year of the Tiger - Wednesday 2nd February 2022
In the aftermath to Christmas, I suddenly decided that, if I was lucky and got a bit of a move on, I could probably organise a lunch party at Chinese New Year – after a yawning gap when nothing (apart from cancellations) had been possible for the HKS in Gloucestershire. It seemed that a considerable proportion of local members also felt that it was high time there was such a get-together ………… and so it came to pass.
First thing to do was find a venue. A Working Party was convened and quickly decided that what was needed was the nearest possible equivalent of the sort of restaurant that everyone in HK has as their go-to place: a block or so off a main road, neither posh (nor expensive) but with really pleasant staff, reliably delicious and relatively authentic food - a good place both to drop into after a long day and to take visitors. The Golden Mountain in Cheltenham was the obvious choice. Menu – delegate decisions to the Chinese ladies, of course.
So, on what in European terms was the second day of the second month of 2022, a total of 22 of us assembled, swapped stories (some probably true), drank Tsing Tao beer, toasted the Society, Hong Kong and the Year of the Tiger, ate our way through a banquet of excellent food, received lai-see packets – and generally quenched (if only temporarily) our need for HK-ness. Mercifully, no-one was daft enough to talk about cultural appropriation, even though the gweilos had made sterling efforts to come dressed in a vaguely oriental fashion so as to complement our Asian ladies!
And, most important, everyone seems to have enjoyed the occasion. Our eminent Chairman went to so far as to describe it as ‘A total triumph ………….. and much needed’. Thanks to everyone who made it so, and who helped the Tiger to roar off to a suitably optimistic start.
Summer Lunch - Wednesday 10th July 2019
I have been rather tempted to re-title this event as a West Country lunch as, with the single exception of Monmouthshire, we had attendees from all counties surrounding Gloucestershire, together with several who journeyed to Cheltenham from considerably further………….in fact those at this year’s lunch who have a GL postcode were in the minority for the first time! But then I worry that ‘West Country’ might excite Poldark-ian expectations, when Laurie Lee and his cider is nearer the mark.
Anyway, the unbroken succession of year-by-year increases in attendances was maintained, and now virtually every member of the Society who lives in Gloucestershire has put in an appearance at The Royal Oak at least once. More importantly perhaps, local membership has grown, and the numbers who have come only once are very small.
This year we achieved not only one Society Chairman, but also no less than three Executive Directors – the recently appointed Lindsay Jones and her two immediate predecessors. Furthermore, Priscilla To, the Director-General of the HK Economic & Trade Office, impressed us all with a formidably well-informed and well-presented address – all the more so since it was delivered against a background of the (newly-violent) demonstrations in Hong Kong, a scenario about which she was prepared to talk convincingly.
So, everyone seemed to have enjoyed the lunch. Why? Well, The Royal Oak works very well as a venue, and their people did an excellent job……………..but this is a necessary, rather than a sufficient condition. More importantly (even) everyone gels and laughs and makes lots of noise, reminiscing and about past times and speculating about futures. That’s Hong Kong people for you.
Summer Lunch - Wednesday 4th July 2018
Time flies – this was already the sixth annual Gloucestershire lunch! We now have getting on for twice the number of attendees who turned out, experimentally, in 2013, and a fair few of those have been enthusiastic enough to have been at all subsequent lunches. So, the formula seems to be a good one – though it would be nice to find ways of attracting more younger and more Chinese demographics.
Several with HK connections were persuaded by their enjoyment of the event to join the Society, and attendees came to Cheltenham from pretty much all of Gloucestershire’s contiguous counties – plus Buckinghamshire, even! There were several of the usual delighted surprises on renewing an acquaintanceship from (sometimes) way back.
We stuck with the now-traditional venue of The Royal Oak in Prestbury; there was the usual welcoming bubbly and delicious food, and most of us were able to have the odd glass of wine. Tom Wright (Executive Director) spoke of the future plans of the Society, and also about Hong Kong’s position within the Pearl River Delta Economic Zone – some concerns, but plenty of opportunities; those who know Hong Kong will be confident that its combination of entrepreneurial spirit and the rule of law will enable it to thrive.
And will the HK Society in Gloucestershire also continue to thrive? The challenge is to retain what works and is enjoyed (whilst not falling victim to complacency) and simultaneously to build for the future. All without overreaching ourselves. First steps: to find some dates for next year!
Mid-Autumn Festival Lunch - Wednesday 4th October 2017
No moon-gazing (at the time, at least), no lighting of lanterns, no moon-cakes…….and a bit of a rash of cancellations due to flu-like symptoms – but, in spite of these draw-backs and set-backs, we had a great gathering at the now traditional venue of The Royal Oak in Prestbury. It proved difficult to maintain the rapid rate of increase in numbers achieved last year, but members (and others) came from even greater distances and it was particularly encouraging to see a good number at the lunch for the first time.
There was the usual delicious food, most of us were able to have the odd glass of wine, plenty mentioned how the mere fact of a connection with Hong Kong creates not just connections but bonds – and there were quite a number of these being renewed, sometimes after a considerable interval. Nigel Johnson-Hill (Chairman) talked about what the months and years ahead hold for the Society, and thanked Robert Guy (retiring Executive Director) for his many and various contributions. Paul Selway-Smith provided insights into current political and social attitudes in Hong Kong. The question of how the territory can maintain its importance and relevance as it moves towards the halfway point of the 50-year period of One Country, Two Systems is a critical one for the present administration.
We were also delighted to have Mr Wing Yip (long-time sponsor and supporter of the Society) and Barbara Grainger with us for a second successive year. In between, members of the Society living locally had paid a hugely impressive visit to the Wing Yip oriental grocery store and distribution centre in Birmingham - and were entertained to a delicious lunch.
So, as always in situations like this, the challenge will be to maintain the momentum – but the idea does seem to have traction. Just need some dates for next year!
Summer Lunch - Wednesday 22nd June 2016
The date for the lunch was set well before there was any talk of referendums, but the prospect of going out to vote the following day was inevitably a big topic of conversation at our lunch – which was again held at The Royal Oak in Prestbury. And, in order to get in some voting practice, the assembled company was asked to do a rehearsal! On an 87% turn-out, the ‘Remain’ camp achieved an 81% share of the vote – all rather different from the country-wide result!
Continuing in statistical mode, we managed a 30% increase in numbers this year; this rate of increase may be difficult to maintain as, in order to do so, it would require virtually every member of the Society resident in and around Gloucestershire to come next year!
More importantly, we had – by general acclaim – an extremely pleasant event: good food, helpfully served, a glass or two of wine, lots of chat, new connections made and older ones renewed. Robert Guy outlined the future direction of the Society, and Paul Leung, Deputy-Director of the HK Economic & Trade Office, gave an extremely interesting and well-received survey of current economic, political and social developments in Hong Kong. We were also delighted to have with us Mr Wing Yip of the eponymous oriental grocery chain and long-time supporter of the HK Society, together with his PA, Barbara Grainger. So, altogether a considerable success – and one that seems to have some momentum.