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The ‘Remorseful Weekend’ Report - Part I
 

Morse Pub Crawl
(As Seen Through The Eyes Of The Undevoted!)
Friday 29th. September 2000
 

Tinged with sadness, a coach load of Morse enthusiasts managed to make the ‘Remorseful Weekend’ an unforgettable experience!

I wondered what exactly we were doing that Friday afternoon. Anni was waiting patiently at Paddington, I myself was fighting my way through the sweaty hell of the weekend rush hour with the promise of ‘a good night out, somewhere different’. I met Anni late (as usual) and we ran for the train.

‘But I’ve never even watched an episode of Inspector Morse.’

I pleaded once again.

‘It doesn’t matter, shut up and run faster,’ she boomed back at me in that unique endearing way!

I had been to Oxford with Anni once before, and I had to admit we had a wonderful day touring the colleges and punting down the river (I am still removing the thorns from a bank-side collision!). As I remember this was the first time that she had mentioned Colin Dexter and the ‘M’ word!

We arrived at Oxford station and bussed it up to the International Youth Hostel (we are students you see, none of this fancy Randolph Hotel nonsense for us!). No, we did things properly, even if we were forced to share a freezing dormitory with sixteen Germans who kept turning the lights on at five in the morning!

We eventually freshened up and set off to the Randolph Hotel. Silently I was wondering how exactly I should play this evening. Should I pretend to know everything about Inspector Morse, his sidekick Lewis (I think!) and happily agree to purchase some fetching handcuff tie pins, or, should I own up? (Well you should certainly have made the purchase - Assistant Editor)

I did neither, Anni took it upon herself to apologise on my behalf and introduce me as ‘Matthew who doesn’t watch Morse’. Silently relieved I climbed onto the minibus and ordered, to the joyful disgust of the others, a pint of lager!

My memory of the evening comes back in snapshots (John and Carole will know what I mean!). Sitting in various pubs that Morse had frequented, playing giant chess in the garden of one pub with Mike, stifling my laughter as Cynthia and Carole serenaded a frightened eighteen year old boy on the event of his birthday and watching as, someone (who will remain nameless) demanded twenty pence pieces to fuel a children’s ride on a train! (Not guilty - Assistant Editor)

I can distinctly remember how friendly everybody was and despite my lack of Morse knowledge I didn’t feel at all left out (except maybe once when excitement overcame the group and they all dashed up an alley to have their photograph taken next to a house where Morse had once unearthed a body!). (JERI - Editor) But even then, after little encouragement, I dashed after them and beamed for the camera!

After many pubs, drinks, and visits to the toilet our evening ended at the Randolph Hotel. Leaving the hotel, after a ‘few for the road’ I was positively radiant, no one had ever called me ‘Sir’ at a bar before! But, my smile was also owing to the wonderful characters we met, and the wonderful friends I made.

I look forward to seeing everybody very soon!

Cheers!
 

Article supplied by Matthew Trevail
 

(You will be pleased to know that since the ‘Remorseful Weekend’ Matthew has watched two whole episodes of Morse, imbibed two pints of real ale, and will be returning to the Society this year as a newly converted enthusiast! - Editor)