Page 9 - BRFC NEWS SPRING 2018

Rhobert Lewis provides his usual entertaining piece for the Vice President’s Corner...
BRECON RFC
SOMETHING LOST
IN TRANSLATION...
Dictionary entry for the number thirty-six.
‘A number greater than 35 but smaller than 37.
The atomic number of krypton. The number of inches in one yard. The number of gallons in a UK beer barrel. The number of vice presidents in Brecon RFC’.
Image the scene. Dowlais Top. Where electricity generation by wind was invented and where tents are outlawed for the public good. The match starts. Dowlais V Brecon. Who is forming that laager on the south side? (Forming the laager, not drinking the lager). Tax inspectors? Asda overspill? No, it is the intrepid Vice Presidents staying warm against the elements. Yes, that’s the sort of people the VPs are. Damp.
We are aware, of course, that Mid-Wales is not South Wales, that when we visit the proud clubs of old Monmouthshire and Glamorganshire we are welcomed as outsiders. When we queried a hygiene certificate grade one (five is the best) being proudly exhibited by one club we visited, the Chairman claimed that we shouldn’t worry because it was something ‘lost in translation’. Translation, of course, is often an issue with visitors from overseas – more about our Italian visitors later.
Being a member of the Hornby Double-O Club (1958) meant that I peaked early. When it comes to membership, I have usually followed Groucho Marx who is alleged to have written a letter of resignation to his club: ‘Please accept my resignation but I wouldn’t want to belong to any club that would have me as a member’.
Which brings me to the crux of the matter. Whatever club your resign from, make sure it’s not the Vice Presidents of Brecon RFC. Maybe I’m nostalgic. Call me old-fashioned. Maybe it’s the peculiar handshake and the inverted bobble hat, the plasticine and knitting needles up the nose on Founders (or should that be Flounders?) Night. Or just the beer. Or maybe – just maybe – it’s the company. Whatever it is, and unlike Groucho, my resignation letter never quite gets posted.
So what of 2016-2017? Excellent performances by both senior teams, the youth and lower ages. The enthusiasm and muddy beauty of the Brecon Ladies Team and the tension as what seemed like the whole club watched the Lions series with baited breath. The Vice Presidents are watchers alright. But often ‘doers too’: they will fund the new loudspeaker system and the boiler this season. A special mention to the Gwernyfed Riders, Brecon VPs who rode to support the worthy acquisition of their ground by Gwernyfed RFC: you know who you are! Most of all, we are proud of our club: Brecon RFC. We have the best grass ground in the league, the best programme, the best newslet- ter, the best score board, the best food and we play an exciting brand of rugby on the field. And that’s before I start on about the coaches! (If I have missed something out, let me know).
Which brings me back to our Italian visitors. I showed them Brecon’s rivers and woods. I showed them the Pavilon. ‘Who did that?’ they asked: and I told them. I showed them the Club House. ‘Who did that?’ they asked: and I told them. And I showed them the scoreboard. ‘Who did that?’ they asked: and I told them.
A few weeks later, they sent me an article from the Genoa newspaper ‘The Lantern’. Here’s part of the article, in the original Italian.
“Brecon-eh ees a town-e in Walles. Eet has tri riveria: the Tarell, the Ron and the Rowsell”. Something lost in translation. But not much.
The main purpose of the Vice Presidents: to help the club through good friendships. It doesn’t get much better than that. If you are interested in joining the ranks of the Vice Presidents you will be assured of a warm welcome and a free tour of our vineyards. The annual fee is £225. Please contact me...
Rhobert Lewis rhobert56@gmail.com
P.S. The first 25 Vice Presidents will receive a highly prestigious bottle of wine grown from vines
from the secret club vineyard near Garthbrengy!
BRECON RFC
VICE PRESIDENTS’ VINTAGE
The secret is out.
Vice Presidents’ vintage wine comes from our secret vineyards in Garthbrengy
and Scethrog.
Have you seen this man?
Mr G Marx (Ship Street). A recently joined
(and then resigned) Vice President?
BRECON RFC
VICE PRESIDENTS’ 2017-18
Stephen Anthony, Terry Barnes Phil Buck, Yvonne Buck
Brendan Cullinane, Tim Davenport Arwyn Davies, Garth Evans
Harry Evans, Peter Evans
Mike Ford, Mark Heneghan
Phil Hoggarth, Rhys Iley
Trevor James, Colin Jones
Viv Jones, Graham Kendrick
Ian Kinsey, Andy Lewis
Rhobert Lewis, Tom Maddox
Ian Matthews, Ian Mitchell
Eifion Morgan, Howard Morgan Jonathan Morgan, Adrian Price Brian Price, Howell Rees
Janet Rees, Ron Rowsell
Steve Shepstone, Jonathan Short Tim Trailor, Adrian Whittall.
BRFC News
SPRING 2018
09
Vice President’s Vintage