British ambassador pays last visit to unsung but renowned social event

The Social Scene
With Lourdes Quijada
One of the largely unsung social events of the Panama social calendar is the The British Luncheon which takes place on the last Friday of each month at the 1985 (Swiss Chalet) Restaurant.

Unsung, because, somewhat in the tradition of British Clubs that used to inhabit the avenues of power in the heart of the British Empire near Whitehall, you can’t just pop in and join the crowd. You have to be invited.

After three invitations, and presumably, so long as you don’t cause a ruckus, or you  fail to drink a toast to the Queen, your name is added to the mailing list and  you can become a regular invitee.

But even then you have to be quick off the mark. When the monthly invitation appears in your inbox, if you are

 slow with the mouse, you might get left out, as the function is limited to around 30 people.

At each gathering the menu reflects some event of significance in the British Commonwealth (past or present).

St David’s day will see the serving of leek soup and other Welsh dishes, St Patrick’s day will test the culinary skills of Chef Willie Diggleman, as he produces his gourmet version of Irish stew. An Indian festival indicates curry, and Canadian Thanksgiving brings out the turkey.

In recent years the male stronghold has been broached with an invitation to the Canadian Ambassador, Patricia Langan Torrell to do the carving which, the men  agreed, she did with finesse.
The assembly was initially proposed by an Australian, Bob McIntosh,(which may explain why some call it the Colonial Lunch). Bob is still a 

regular, and first to his feet after the loyal toast, with a joke to sharpen the taste buds.

As it grew, the role of informing the mailing list, and negotiating the menu with the chef, fell to Richard Vizor, the doyen of British residents, who died earlier this year.
Richard ruled with a velvet clad fist, which came down on no-shows who had to pay the cost of the lunch they never 

ate, with the money going to charity.

After Richard’s death, the administration burden fell on the shoulders of Gerry Dowden, the host of the English language morning show “Breakfast with Gerry” on 89.3 FM, who is also the host of a smaller regular lunch meeting (The Fenix) where businessmen gather to exchange views.
At the latest British(Colonial) lunch there was a succession of toasts.

After the Queen came a toast to popular British Ambassador Richard Austen, making his last appearance, as his four year term in Panama, ends on January 25. This was followed by toasts to Richard Vizor and to Bob McIntosh. It was a lunch with a fitting end to a year to remember. {jathumbnail off}