Memory Lane or should I say South Vale

Touring was always a delight, and possibly still is. Paris was once upon a time a boys weekend away and always offered a snapshot cultural experience  to anyone who was awake.  The French in turn, used to visit South Vale - the original ground of the Club that was then known as Old Gaytonians -  and be escorted around Windsor Castle, Ye Olde English Pubbe, Tower of London. The weekend always  culminated in an 'International Singing Contest' and massive banquet prepared by numerous 'ladies' who planned stuff for weeks, scoured Fanny Craddock cook books and magically did the washing up! What fabulous teamwork. They were occassionally allowed out to play, led ably by Mildred Smith cheerfully baptising innocent French boys. She baptised them with gin and tonic before forcibly and publicly divesting them of their trousers - at least!
As the world was a more civilised place, (when the cry of 'last orders please' was a genuine obstacle) the International match was on a Saturday, and Sunday afternoon in the car park was the scene of many emotional farewells... girls who thought they had met the most romantic Parisian, the Frenchmen saying farewell to the communal bath and 'proper toilets' - so many memories...
Agent Tony Usher, de facto Deputy Editor of this blog and West London's 'chef ' in all matters West London/Plessis Meudon, has provided many photographs to help these World Cup Weeks pass - what better way to illustrate this than a "Who Do You Recognise" ? I have fond memories of most of these people, but I am not going to name them - I'll leave that to you.
Except to say that there is a picture of Ted Blundell here - who originated the tour to Paris, worked like a dog for the Club and, remains in my mind one of the most whole hearted decent blokes I will meet. Anyone who has enjoyed the 'craic' has him to thank for starting it all off! Bravo Ted!