Determined to enjoy themselves, 114 GROGs attended the 2017 Xmas Lunch, not just turning up but participating in the revelries with their boisterous approach to merrymaking and seasonal singing led by keyboard maestro Robin Hopkins, subbing for Bill Gardner. It’s not often (if ever) that GROGS has a visiting Professor as a guest speaker but the long wait was certainly worth it. Professor David Purdie came to GROGS with an established reputation as a first class after dinner entertainer and first class he certainly was. Of course, he had that veteran GROG and regular Lunch chairman, Roy Dingwall, as his warm up act. When the raw, predator like, humour of one was mingled with the stylish, semi professional, delivery of the other, the result was pure entertainment for all. At this point, the reader must decide which one was which! Introduced as an Accie of a lesser world (being an Ayr Academical) David opened by showcasing 3 of his many talents - humour, delivery and mimicry - with a story about an Australian immigration officer, one of a long line of good stories. However, he didn’t depend on humour alone to entertain his audience. David showed he is also very rugby orientated with, among other interesting comments, a thought provoking treatise on the difference between backs and forwards of both the bygone era and the current era. If anything, he had too many good stories (recounted with a host of accents). Sometimes it was difficult to know which ones were true and which invented. It didn’t matter, they were all great, including possibly the best ever Will Carling story! And he wasn’t averse to a bit of name dropping - Willie Whitelaw, Robert Runcie and even our own Bobby Low. All in all, a wonderful performance which ended with a standing ovation. Certainly, he already had everyone on their feet for a joint toast to GROGS and EROS, but that was just part of the skill of the man. As a thank you for his company, David received a bottle of GROGS whisky to keep him warm on his train journey home. Previously, Gordon Wilson had outbid everybody else in an auction to ensure he took home a Bill McLaren ‘Big Sheet’ as an early Christmas present for his wife.