Proposed by Carole Reiss

The programme:
Future Events

16th February 2010, Society Meeting We meet from 6:00 p.m. at the Arts Club, 40 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NP. Our speaker will be the wonderful Jonathan Cecil, who amongst his many many achievements has also created some brilliant audio books of Wodehouse's work. The nearest Underground station for Dover Street is Green Park.



27th March 2010, Murphy’s Wodehouse Walk Norman Murphy is resuming his Wodehouse Walks! Please see our articles on the Plum Pie exhibition at Heywood Hill and also Norman's own article in Recent Events entitled 'Wodehouse Walks at Heywood Hill - September/October 2009'. These walks really are a 'must do' for Wodehouse fans. The start time will be 10:00 a.m. Call Norman on 020 8881 9979 to book a place and get details on where to meet. For information on how to order Norman's book Three Wodehouse Walks please use the form provided at the base of the article mentioned above.



21st May to 27th June 2010, Oh, Boy! staged in Chicago The City Lit Theatre in Chicago are staging the classic Bolton-Wodehouse-Kern musical Oh, Boy! See Wooster Sauce, December 2009 edition, page 17 for details.

22nd May 2010, Murphy’s Wodehouse Walk Norman will lead another walk around Wodehouse’s London. The start time will be 10:00 a.m., please see the entry for 27th March 2010 for further details.

18th June 2010, Gold Bats vs. The Dulwich Dusters The annual match of the society's cricket team the Gold Bats against The Dulwich Dusters, at Dulwich College (where of course Wodehouse went to school). A marvellous tea is also provided and tickets for this can be purchased in advance. Members will see details of this in the March 2010 edition of Wooster Sauce.

27th June 2010, Gold Bats vs. Sherlock Holmes Society Another of the Gold Bats' annual fixtures, this time against the Sherlockians at the West Wycombe cricket ground.
4th July 2010, Cricket at Charterhouse School Members of the Gold Bats will play the Intellectuals at Charterhouse School, the start time will be 2:00 p.m.

6th July 2010, Society Meeting We will meet from 6:00 p.m. at the Arts Club, 40 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NP. Our speaker will be announced nearer the time, but be sure to put this in your diary as another enjoyable evening is assured! Norman Murphy will also conduct an abbreviated Wodehouse Walk prior to the meeting. Call Norman on 020 8881 9979 for details on when and where to meet. The nearest Underground station for Dover Street is Green Park.

21st July 2010, Cricket in Kent Members of the Gold Bats will play together with the Siegfried Sassoon Society against the Matfield Cricket Club in Kent, starting at 2:00 p.m. This is the annual Flower Show match, re-creating Sassoon's highly regarded fictional cricket match fixture. Please see reports in our Recent Events section and our Archive on this interesting and important fixture.

8th August 8 2010, Gold Bats vs. Kirby Strollers This annual charity match will take place in the wonderful setting of the grounds of Audley End House, near Saffron Walden. The start time will be 1:00 p.m.

11th September 2010, Murphy’s Wodehouse Walk Norman will lead another walk around Wodehouse’s London. The start time will be 10:00 a.m. Please see the entry for 27th March 2010 for further details.

28th October 2010, Society Dinner at Gray’s Inn The Society’s biennial formal dinner will again be held at Gray’s Inn, London. If you have been to a Society dinner before you will want to place this in your diary now and await fuller information in Wooster Sauce in due course.

16th November 2010, Society Meeting We will meet from 6:00 p.m. at the Arts Club, 40 Dover Street, London, W1S 4NP. Our speaker will be announced nearer the time. The nearest Underground station for Dover Street is Green Park.
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Background

The P G Wodehouse Society (UK) exists to promote the enjoyment of the greatest humorous writer in the history of the English language. A man who wrote more than 70 novels over a period of more than 70 years, who wrote in excess of 300 short stories, contributed at least 800 pieces to about 80 journals and who, by writing more than 200 lyrics for musical comedies, is acknowledged to be one of the founders of the modern stage-musical, can hardly be described in less flattering terms.



Principal Objective
To ensure members can derive the greatest possible fun and pleasure from the wide variety of P G Wodehouse's work, by publications, articles, films, stage productions, radio and television programmes, group discussions, outings, debates, lunches and dinners.

Subscription
The Subscription Year is from 1 June to 31 May and the subscription is £15.
Click here to go to the membership application form

Specific Activities


A subscription to The P G Wodehouse Society will entitle you to: (!!)

* a Welcome Letter;
* a quarterly journal, Wooster Sauce;
* occasional circulars of urgent news;
* access to such arrangements as the Society can negotiate for discounts on commercially produced Wodehouse publications;
* invitations to events arranged for members by the Organising Committee from time to time; and
* the opportunity to join, or help to form, local groups of enthusiasts for promoting further activities.


Organising Committee

Hilary Bruce - Chairman
Tim Andrew - Social Functions
Sir Edward Cazalet - Step-grandson of PG Wodehouse
Jamie Jarrett - Website Editor
Christine Hewitt - Membership Secretary
Tony Ring - Author, Millennium Wodehouse Concordance, You Simply Hit Them With An Axe
Andrew Chapman - Treasurer
Oliver Wise - Barrister
Paul Rush - Merchandising
Elin Murphy - Editor, Wooster Sauce
Daryl Lloyd - Members' Database Officer
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Wooster Sauce



The Society’s quarterly journal, Wooster Sauce, is 24 pages – sometimes more – of articles, information, photos, graphics and quotes. It is a cornerstone of the P G Wodehouse Society (UK) and a real bargain for the Society’s £15 annual membership fee. For its first decade, Wooster Sauce was edited by Wodehouse scholar Tony Ring. The present editor is past president of The Wodehouse Society (US) Elin Murphy, and contributions come from members – and occasionally non-members – from all over the world.



What are you likely to read in Wooster Sauce, you ask? In a nutshell, a variety of articles on Wodehouse-related topics, ranging from the impressively scholarly to the purely humorous. Through the Sauce pages, you will obtain information on both Wodehouse and the Society while also being thoroughly entertained. Regular and semi-regular features include:



* Reports on Society doings, such as our thrice-yearly meetings, annual cricket matches, and biennial formal dinner. The September 2007 issue included a 12-page supplement devoted to the Society’s unforgettable Week With Wodehouse in July, including coloured photographs.
* Future Events, detailing what lies ahead for Society members, so that you can mark your calendar now.
* The latest in Society news, including our all-important Back the Berkshire campaign (click here for details).
* "My First Wodehouse Experience" – articles from members describing the moment they discovered Wodehouse and the effect it had on their lives.
* Poets’ Corner, wherein we are treated to an original PGW poem, often seen in print only once previously.
* Recent Press Comment – a cross-section of the innumerable references to Wodehouse in the press.
* Bibliographic Corner, a column offering insights into the world of Wodehouse book collecting.
* Profiles of well-known and not-so-well-known names and personalities in the Wodehouse world.
* Letters to the Editor, a chance to comment on past articles or pose questions to other members.
* Up-to-date information and reviews on the latest Wodehouse-related books, audio-books, CDs, and theatre productions.
* "Quick ones" from members describing personal experiences, unusual sightings of Wodehouse works or references, or intriguing informational snippets.



Humour is our watchword, but we occasionally examine the serious aspects of Wodehouse’s life and work as well. For example, the four issues published in 2007 included:



* "Our Last Visit to Plum" – a reminiscence by Wodehouse’s grandson, Sir Edward Cazalet, on the last time he and his wife visited the Wodehouses in Remsenburg.
* "The Fun of Flying" – an article by Dutch member Hetty Litjens about the Wodehouse Google Earth Project.
* Four chapters in a series by one of our Russian members, Masha Lebedeva, on Russian references in Wodehouse stories.
* "The Lady and the Duke" – in which PG Wyndham Brooks offers intriguing ideas on the sources of two PGW characters.
* Reprints of articles by well-known media figures: "Dash it, Jeeves! Why are we so funny?" by Telegraph literary editor Sam Leith; and "Carry on, Jeeves! And on, and on ..." by columnist and Radio 4 presenter James Naughtie.
* "Whirlwind Wodehouse Weddings" – Norman Murphy explains how PGW characters managed fast-track weddings.
* "Books on Wodehouse in Print" as explained by Tony Ring.
* "Jivusu in the Offing" – another article by Hetty Litjens, this time on the Jeeves phenomenon in Japan.
* "A Late Delivery" – a PGW letter that never made it to its recipient.
* Random House editor (and Society member) Tony Whittome describes the newest Wodehouse publishing venture.
* "A Letter from Aunt Agatha" – in which Indian member Ranjitha Ashok defends Bertie’s infamous aunt against some foul charges.
* "Bertie’s Uncles George" by American member Charles E Gould, Jr, who examines which Uncle George was which.
* "Impending Doom Revisited" – an account of a meeting with an angry swan by Paul Rush.
* "A Sermon on Brotherly Love" written by Stephen Persing and delivered at the October 2007 convention of The Wodehouse Society (US) at Providence, Rhode Island.
* "Plum Did His Bit" – a description by Murray Hedgcock of Wodehouse’s contribution to the WWII-era Shelter Book.



Contributions to Wooster Sauce come from Wodehouse scholars and from those who are simply fans of The Master’s work. We welcome all of them, whether original articles, additions to series such as "My First Wodehouse Experience", or simple snippets of information.



By The Way, a 2-page supplement that accompanies the March, June and September issues of Wooster Sauce, offers a different perspective on aspects of Wodehouse’s life and work. Through By The Way we have enjoyed "What the Well-Dressed Man Is Wearing", learned the names and breeds of Wodehouse pets, and seen how Jeeves has been depicted in book illustrations over time, among many other articles. There is also a bonus "Christmas collectible", republishing rare pieces of Wodehouse’s writing that members may not otherwise be able to read.



Trust us and read Wooster Sauce for a thoroughly Wodehousean experience. And Wooster Sauce needs you, too! In addition to welcoming articles of both humorous and scholarly natures, we are always looking for reviewers of plays, books, CDs, and audio-books, as well as reporters of Society events. If you think you can contribute – or if you simply want to know more about the journal – get in touch with Elin Murphy at editor@pgwodehousesociety.org.uk.

Photo: Princess of Blanding (!)