Oxford Phab – Page 40

Club Holiday at Butlins, Southcoast World, Bognor Regis.

We assembled at the car park of the Jack Russel Pub, Mortimer Drive, Old Marston at 9:45, leaving at 10:30 – just across the road from the home of Mark Steadman, our chairman at the time.

Our programme was as follows

Saturday

Leave – 10:30am from the Jack Russel Pub. Stop at Service Station at 12:00pm, leave at 1:00pm. Arrive at Butlins at 3:00pm (approx.) Shopping expedition to be arranged at Butlins. Meet at 6:30pm at the Plaza for evening meal.

Sunday

Free day to explore Butlins and Bognor Regis (Make your own sandwiches from lunch if you wish). Meet at 6:00pm for evening meal at a chalet to be arranged.

Monday

Day trip to Portsmouth, leave at 11:00am. (Make your own sandwiches for lunch).

Morning – visit to HMS Victory or the Marie Rose.

Afternoon – visit to the Isle of Wight (optional), Leave at 5pm, evening in the Manhatten Restaurant at Butlins at 8:00pm

Tuesday

Free morning for swimming (optional)

At 2:00pm leave for Chichester for the afternoon.

At 6:30pm evening meal to be arranged.

Wednesday

Day trip to Brighton – leave Butlins at 10:00am.

Evening meal – fish and chips on the way back to Butlins

Thursday

Day trip to Arundel (Optional) – leave at 11:30am

Friday

11:30 leave for a trip to Goodwood, in the afternoon free time around Bognor Regis.

7:00pm evening meal, yes you’re right – a Chinese meal in Bognor Regis. (we had finished several previous Phab holidays with Chinese meals)

Chariots of Fire

Having had a float the the Lord Mayor’s Parade last year as The Bash Street Kids, this year our theme was Chariots of Fire. The costumes were simple, but the conversion of wheelchairs to chariots, and the flame decorations gave our float an artistic flare, and we collected a large quantity of small change, and many good wishes.

Bash Street Kids

Oxford has had a Mayor since about 1205, and a Lord Mayor since 1962. There is a parade to mark the changeover from one Lord Mayor to the next on the late May Bank Holiday Monday.

It was a great festive occasion, with groups connected with the city joining in the parade on carnival floats, and collecting money in buckets as they drove along the parade route.

In 1986, Oxford Phab had the theme of The Bash Street Kids.

Although the money created was not a huge sum (it was a huge number of 1p and 2p pieces) the publicity and friendly interactions with the public made it all worthwhile.