CitySolicitor


David Biddle, Past Master


Inter-Livery Ski Championships


Golfers spend their lives in competitions, as do duplicate bridge players and clay-pigeon shooters, but there are few opportunities for skiers to test their skills against others. The Inter Livery Ski Championships is therefore an excellent opportunity to do something not generally available on a normal skiing holiday. It took place in Morzine at the end of January.


The initial races were under lights on the Friday, from 5 pm, with parallel identical courses. The draw for the start had been by ballot. I was No 1 so, as a complete novice, I had to go down the course without seeing how others coped. Lining up with me was No 2, a Needlemaker of a mere 17 years who disappeared down the hill in a cloud of snow leaving me to struggle down behind him. Mercifully at the bottom was a large cauldron of vin chaud which kept us warm while the Needlemaker and I watched the remaining 113 come down not just once but a second time in reverse order leaving us to take up the rear on a course that by then was very icy.


The proceedings then adjourned to L’Equipe Hotel where we were treated to quantities of charcuterie, cheese and wine followed by a mad scramble for the results – best run to count. The leader was a Vintner who happened to be a ski instructor over the


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border in Champery. The Master Vintner had finished a respectable 17th. I was faint but pursuing in 50th place but with only the Master Pewterer at 49 there was hope that I might even be second in the Master/Past Master/Clerks competition.


Saturday dawned bright, cold and clear, with a start at 10am, an early inspection of the Giant Slalom course was necessary. I met up with the Barber Surgeons complete with their red and white barley twist ski poles. They were more interested in what we had each eaten and drunk the night before having been up half the night. Double the normal dose of Nurofen and Imodium soon put that right.


Fortunately the Giant Slalom course finished near a large restaurant with a log fire and quantities of hot chocolate/coffee/vin chaud depending on your predilection. Eventually the race started half an hour late with the Vintner Ski instructor at No 1. Unfortunately the Clerk to the Dyers was still trying out the bottom of the course in a tortoise-like fashion – an accident being played out in slow motion as the rapier-like Vintner approached at speed. A lot of shouting from the crowd and avoiding action from the Vintner averted the problem.


The Shipwrights kindly asked me to pre- dinner drinks in their flat which was followed


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