So near and yet so far! The December record turnout was seriously challenged when 114 GROGs threw off the effects of the New Year Ribena & Benylin cocktails to attend the first Lunch of 2014 and enjoy Allan McTaggart's Chairmanship and the amusing memories of Sky Sports lead golf presenter, David Livingstone. This early year effort was well rewarded with an extremely entertaining, easily delivered presentation from an obvious professional, belying his opening remarks when he described his best qualities as a speaker as being “cheap and punctual”. David confessed to having no real rugby pedigree save that, in his youth, he had enjoyed the ‘wine, women and song’ allure of the game and had formed a great drinking bond with his good friend, Ian McLauchlan, the famous ‘Mighty Mouse’. Dropping names like confetti, David regaled his audience with ‘first name’ stories of such mega stars as Michael Parkinson, Jimmy Tarbuck, Seve Ballesteros, Jack Nicklaus, the ‘amazing’, oyster loving, Elizabeth Taylor, a gangster friend (whom he chose not to name) and, if we were to believe him, a spat with James Bond himself, Sean Connery. Included in this litany was the name of GROGS’ own Bill McMurtrie, the Glasgow Herald’s sports editor in David’s developing years there, whom he likened to Dad’s Army’s Capt. Mainwairing and himself to Private Pike. Before becoming the golf anchor man for Sky, David was a football reporter. He interviewed Brian Clough, who later said that he rated David because “he listens to what I say”. Well, David, your GROGS audience certainly listened to what you had to say and enjoyed every word of it, including his answer to a question:- “Which non Major winner would you tip to win one this year?” The scratching of the name Rickie Fowler on numerous pieces of paper was clearly audible before the GROGS’ Gadarene rush to the local bookies. However, not before expressing their loud and prolonged appreciation of a guest speaker who left with the usual bottle of GROGS whisky and a GROGS tie.