Fun In The Forest 2008

23rd - 26th May 2008

On the Whitsun bank holiday, several members of Potters Bar and South Herts hockey clubs set off for an Essex hockey tournament under the guise of "The Bar Stars". Like a phoenix from the ashes, this name was resurrected from touring teams of Potters Bar's past. Here are a few memories from the weekend:

Friday
We turned up to Old Loughtonians' Hockey Club to the sound of "we have brought poles haven't we?" from Ed to Caroline. Much to everyone's amusement they had forgotten their tent poles so a quick trip to the local Asda was required from them to buy a new tent.
As the evening stretched on a few cans were had round the tent area whilst we watched late-comers struggle with their tent assemblies. As it was getting dark, I suddenly remarked that we were the only team left round our tents and that every other team had hit the bar. So we quickly chivied inside and joined the throng of other tour-goers in drinking copius amounts of snakebite! All of us except Charlotte I should point out.
The rest of the night is a bit of a blur save for the fact that I think we found the disco at some point. And then those with enough energy finished off the night with a bit of hockey on the practice pitch at 3am...which was right by our tents and caused poor Steve to remark that they should know better and they were keeping him awake.

Saturday
We won a couple of matches; I can't remember the details, only that we played the first match of the day at about 10am. Then we were treated to a feast-sized picnic for lunch, included in the entry fee as were all meals from Friday to Sunday. Following another victory in the afternoon, we dressed for the night out.
Saturday night was fancy dress night and our theme was 80's rock bands and pop stars. Doris and Roy rather surprisingly pulled out all the stops to be two scantily-clad women. James was magnficent as ever in a Freddy Mercury guise, complete with fake chest hair and dyed hair. There were also a number of village people.
In the marquee, with the party in full swing, the DJ decided to put on Guns and Roses. Much to his chagrin, Big, dressed as Slash, was forced up on stage by the rest of us and pictures were taken. I also have memories of Andy playing drinking games with the Keele University team and performing badly (or well!) knocking drinks over and fluffing his lines and therefore having to drink forfeits. I don't think anybody has ever seen him as drunk.

Sunday
Steve got his first full game of the weekend as another early start, some rain and a secondment of Tom to the Keele team left an opening for him. In fact, Steve was marking a leggy brunette and played one of the best games I have seen him play. However we did lose the game.
Had Keele been a little more sober and given the correct score from their game, we would have been playing them (meaning a clash of loyalties for Debs and Tom). However, we ended up instead playing a Loughborough team which included Ed "I love tour" Whybrow. Ed was really entering into the spirit of the tour all weekend, but he was getting rather harshly treated by his team and played the match aganist us with a camping chair strapped to his back which they had forced him to wear.
Coming through this match we then had the propsect of a final; exciting at first but then more and more daunting as the crowd swelled due to teams finishing their tournament and having nothing to do other than drink and watch the finals. This provided an arena for some streakers who ran on to the ladies final, with one guy, as Tom so nicely put it, 'bouncing off his knee'.
Another point of amusement around this time was a player, in preparing for his match, putting a condom over his head and blowing and blowing until it burst.
I think we were last on...and this probably helped as the Leo Sayers All Dayers team were rather drunk by this stage. Another good performance from our superstars...Mark Turpin, Anna Walker, Ed Newbery and Caroline Partridge as well from everyone else and a goal from Doris (one of the easiest he'll ever score!) gave us a one-nil victory and the mixed trophy was ours!
With the trophy in our hands, Tony "I've met a girl called Toni Sayers...and she is fit!!" Sayers became better acquainted (but not much!) with his namesake Toni from the Leo Sayers team, Roy found a walking cane and annoyed everyone with it and everyone else celebrated long into the night.

Monday and onwards
Thanks to a torential downpour in the small hours of Monday morning and further rain on Monday, we were all very nearly washed away. It also meant that all hockey was abandoned for Monday. However, regrouping over email a day later, plans were forged to send our group of men and ladies to another tournament in East Grinstead for the August bank holiday. As we all look forward to this, please see the Fun In The Forest team photo and quotes from some of these players below.

Team photo

Back row: Tom Quick, Tony Sayers, Mark Turpin, Ed Newbery, Owen Hughes, James Pearson, Roy Hill, Andy Stokes, Steve Walters
Front row: Charlotte Sayers, Michelle Lewis, Caroline Partridge, Sarah Withers, Anna Walker, Jonny Weller (goalkeeper), Debbie Collins

Quotes - And here are some quotes from people about the tour:

"Fun in the forest!
Well… it did exactly what it said on the tin… Ha ha. I have not laughed so much in a very long time. Had an amazing weekend and the guys that played made it awesome. Highlights have to include steve’s oneliners, james on his own was just comedy, Ed whybrow and his smurf glasses in a continuosly drunken state, the costumes, the injuries… though next time im hoping to get less, nearly being washed away in our tents (technically not a highlight but definitely memorable), not going to bed till 4 am everynight...
To sum up in one word… Life changing! Ok technically that’s two…"
Michelle Lewis

"...a weekend of glorious carnage which definitely exceeded all my expectations!"
Steve Walters

"...thanks everyone for coming. It exceed my expectations as well. Can't believe we won it, and that Tony Lee Sayers found a girl called Toni from the Leo Sayers team!"
Owen Hughes

"Just wanted to add on to the last two emails and say Anna you are HOT! You thought the Banter was over....ITS JUST BEGUN!
Had a quality time with all of you. (Steve I want you and I to be life partners) Count me in for all the trips you ever go on (don’t try and hide them from me I will only find out)
Potters Bar Came, Saw, Bantered Anna, and Conquered!"
James Pearson

"Was an amazing weekend!
I’d be up for another one…..
Thanks to all of you Champions!!!!!!"
Anna Walker

"Fantastic weekend and a great bunch of lads made it amazing!!!"
Andy Stokes