Mid-summer madness on the Thames

Posted: July 1st, 2019

Drama ensued at a recent Mirror social when Brendan Monks, snapper extraordinaire, nearly fell into the Thames. Click through for more…

Too impatient to wait until Christmas for a get together, a “sensational group of old Mirror mates” broke with tradition and chose mid-June for a summer version of the Old F*rts. The gig was so enjoyed by this jolly crew, see pic below, organisers Pauline McLeod and Bryan Rimmer have already pencilled in next year’s event on the social calendar.

The drink fest was at Browns in London’s Butlers Wharf with, as you can see from the pic, stunning views of Tower Bridge. Apparently “…Browns would love to have us back: we were well-behaved (shome mishtake, shurely?) were a big enough crowd to fill a good space, plus we spent a lot of money”.

“We were quaffing and eating by the Thames, iconic views, no hurry to get back to work. Oh yes, and it wasn’t raining.”

But back to Brendan… he was balancing precariously on a chair up above the river with only chest-high open railings between him and the grey swirling waters below, prepping to take a group shot.

BUT… he’d forgotten to take the lens cap off. He tried to talk his way out of his faux pas while perilously laughing his head off – if it hadn’t been for the charming waiter hanging on to the restaurant chair, Brendan would have had an early bath. And ruined his favourite Ralph Lauren cricket bear shirt in the process. OMG!

Main picture, left to right: Bryan Rimmer, Lesley Hutchins, AN Other, Frank Thorne, Tony Purnell (sunglasses), Bill Rowntree (with beer), Sue Bullivant, Brendan Monks, Louise Flood, Hilary Bonner, Chris Kelly, Pauline McLeod (foreground) Lesley-Ann Jones, Peter Moeller (rear, facing the wrong way!), Ray Weaver (striped shirt), Geri Hosier (ex-NoW), David Hancock (rear) and John Blake