Text contributed by Christina; pics by Lou and Christina.
Once a year, Dave generously invites the IOG to have a barbecue at his home.
Everything in his recently completed roofed barbecue area looks large: the rustic and smouldering barbecue grill he has built himself, the seating area and the adjacent room that people can retreat to in cool and wet conditions.
By around 5.30pm, Paul had got everybody started on sausages and burgers. Paul loves to cook on the fire and he worked hard to feed us with expertly cooked meat and veggie options.
Dave is a great host; he provides fresh produce from his garden to complement the barbecued food.
Around 30 people came during the course of the day to chat, eat, drink their favourite tipple and be merry.
Dave generously opens up his cottage and garden for overnight guests. There is plenty of space for cars and tents.
The next morning, Glen led a lovely walk of around 10 miles in the area, alongside fields and past remote cottages and farms. It felt like a warm late summer day.
Towards the end, our group of 10 walkers became increasingly thirsty and tired. Luckily, we could reward ourselves with brioche, cake and chilled lemonade on our return to the barbecue area, which was cool in the shade of the roof.
Big thanks to Dave for hosting a great outdoor social event that does the IOG proud.