One of the great things about the old NASG was the get togethers and conferences where you met some of your heros. I remember meeting the likes of Peter and Sue Stone, Fred Wagstaffe, Bob Reynolds, Frank Guttfield, Jack Hilton, Peter Frost, Peter Wheat, Bob Church and many others who went on to make big names for themselves.
One of the most frustrating parts of these early conferences was that you were called to order and sometimes had to sit through hours of boring political discourse, voting, minutes of the last meetings, and quite often, vitriolic arguements.
That was the downside of course.
On the upside we met some marvellous people who remained friends for the rest of our lives.
I remember going out for lunch in Melton Mowbray with **** Walker, Eric Hodson and Tag Barnes. We talked up a storm over lunch in a nearby pub and **** paid the bill. We had to wait nearly 20 minutes for the waitress to bring ****'s change back.
When we got back to the meeting, we got a few black looks from the rest of the members. We were 1/2 an hour late.
Later that day we went over to a friends house in Melton and had an incredible booze up in his garage. Fred Wagstaffe got so plastered we had to put him asleep in the back of Eric's car.
We crashed out in his house, much to the disgust of his missus.
I wish I knew that guy's name.
The following week their appeared a photo of me and Fred Wagstaffe looking very nuch the worse for wear in the Angling Telegraph.
Happy days.
Oh, and Ray Webb got clonked on a pint of Drambuie.
