October brings the annual match against Berkhamsted and the chance to renew old friendships and make new friends. The day began with a convivial full English breakfast accompanied by port and brandy to ward off any Autumnal chill in the air. Added to the usual mix of banter this year were tales of the course renovation that had just begun. The Club has been reviewing the course and the way it plays; the conclusion is that removing a substantial amounts of gorse and encouraging the heather to flourish along with a substantial tree management programme and the construction of a few new tees will significantly enhance this magnificent heathland course.
No trip to Berkhamsted would be complete without a ‘Jonathon’ in the LUGS team but this year we switched the flamboyantly trousered cavalier style of Lavelle (absent on VC duties at The Berkshire) for the classical smooth swinging Moeller- Schwartz of Royal Wimbledon. It was great to welcome JMS to his first LUGS match having completed his master’s degree this summer and the hope is that he will participate in many more fixtures.
Andrew Coles arrived with tales of his new daughter’s aptitude for the game – even at six weeks you can, apparently, show early promise. Andrew and Sam led the team off and, with a gritty display, earned a half in the top match. Some things never change though and the ever reliable Mike Edwards and the mercurial Gorm blazed their way to victory; perhaps Gorm was still smarting after having been consistently out driven at Hadley Wood during the Autumn Meeting by the youths of the University.
The match was lost 3.5 – 2.5 and after time spent in the bar we had a splendid tapas meal in the newly refurbished dining room. Most of us then made our way cheerfully home; however, one intrepid LUG – Thomas Dvorak – found that closing time at Berkhamsted came just that little bit too early for him. Last seen, he was heading for a local hostelry with members of the Berkhamsted team; whether he was leading the charge or simply following politely remains an open question.
All in all another wonderful day at Berkhamsted, and we look forward to the 2027 match.
| LUGS | Berkhamsted | ||
| Sam Campbell (2.3)/Andrew Cole (6.1) | Halved | Ian Dickins (8.7)/Stephen Titford (11.7) | Halved |
| Andrew Westmore (7.9)/John Magnin (7.5) | Julian Ormerod (6.4)/Mark Williams (7.9) | Won 2 up | |
| Gorm Nielsen (3.0)/Mike Edwards (9.8) | Won 4/3 | Andrew Clarke (6.6)/Peter Flowers (13.0) | |
| Kaihan Mobed (5.6)/Jonathon Moeller-Schwartz (3.1) | Miles Wilkinson (5.8)/Stephen Jones (8.1) | Won 5/4 | |
| Mark Wheelhouse (5.8)/Ed Williams (8.8) | Won 4/3 | Stephen Wilkinson (6.6)/David Highfield (10.4) | |
| Josh Collingwood (1.1)/Thomas Dvorak (8.0) | Ben Hopkinson (9.6)/David Harper (12.6) | Won 3/2 | |
| 2.5 | 3.5 |
