FIRST - CHECK OUT THESE SLIDES - THEY DESCRIBE US WELL
We Are
THE GENTLEMENS ALE SAMPLING SOCIETY
MEETINGS HISTORY
To see what MEETINGS ARE COMING UP, scroll down on this page.
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To see all that we did in previous years meetings click 'MEETINGS HISTORY' on the button below​.​
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To read what happened click 'MINUTES OF MEETINGS' on the other button.
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THE NEXT MEETINGS.....
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THE 2024/25 MEETINGS CALENDAR
The successful and fair system of allocating meetings to two members per month to arrange,
with a split of 3 Awaydays (£1300), 4 Entertainment (£1100), 4 Pub (£900) meetings and 1 AGM in September​,
and a bias to holding more pub meets in winter, more awaydays in Spring & Summer,
the following is the AMENDED calendar. Not set in stone, just a better distribution.
CHANGES MADE TO THE AGM MEETING DRAW:
Gary has taken the October slot as a Pub meeting to take the pressure off Ollie.
The October Awayday has been moved to June and Brian has volunteered to organise it.
Christmas has been uprated to an Awayday as it is every year.
January has been changed to a pub meeting as it falls too close to NYE. Entertainment moved to February.
In the draw at the AGM there were only 3 Entertainments so May has been uprated from Pub.
ANY ISSUES WITH THESE CHANGES - PLEASE CONTACT THE GASS CEO (BRIAN) DIRECT.
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OCTOBER
GARY & PETE - PUB - £900
THE ROSE & CROWN, HARTLIP
Dinner meeting in a private room.
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NOVEMBER
NICK & WAYNE - ENTERTAINMENT - £1100
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DECEMBER
TONY & STUART - AWAYDAY - £1300
CHRISTMAS SPECTACULAR
JANUARY
IAN & JOHN - PUB - £900
FEBRUARY
CHRIS & RAY - ENTERTAINMENT - £1100
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MARCH
GRAHAM & RON - AWAYDAY - £1300
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APRIL
PHIL & OLLIE - PUB - £900
MAY
STEVE & ANDY - ENTERTAINMENT - £1100
JUNE
BRIAN - AWAYDAY - £1300
JULY
OWEN & HUGH - ENTERTAINMENT - £1100
AUGUST
BRIAN & LEN - PUB - £900
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SEPTEMBER. AGM
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MEETING RULES
As unanimously agreed at the AGM we split into pairs and arrange a meeting each.
s. You have your budget and if you go over, deliberately or accidentally, the members simply cough up.
If it is deliberate and planned then the members pay a pre-agreed surcharge.
If its your fuck up on the night, members chuck into a kitty to cover the overspend.
Entertainment, Food, Beers & Single Spirits go on the GASS bill.
Anything else (including wine with the meal) members buy themselves.
Annual Budget: £40 per head per month. 20 members = £9,600
3 Awadays @ £1300, 4 Entertainment @ £1100, 4 Pub @ £900 = £11,900
NOTE = Loss of 2 members and increase of budgets implies an annual loss of £2,300.
PAY £40 - EXPECT £40
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THE GASS NO-WINE RULE
To avoid the repetitious issue of members ordering fine wines without paying for them
it was decided by a majority to REMOVE WINE ALTOGETHER from the GASS bill.
In future members may order beers, single spirits and soft drinks on the GASS tab.
All WINES, DOUBLES, SHERRY AND SPECIAL DRINKS MUST BE PAID FOR IN CASH BY THE MEMBER.
This is not being 'girlie', this is because several members drink little or nothing at meetings,
and while they do not object to house level wines at around £20-25 they do object to wines at £60 a bottle.
High priced wines (and specialty drinks) have been the bane of meetings budgets for years.
IF YOU WANT WINE - JUST ORDER IT AND PAY FOR IT.​​
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We Are Occasional
SCOTSMEN
ABOUT GASS
The Gentleman's Ale Sampling Society was formed in 1982 and started life as 20 blokes getting together on the first Tuesday of every month to have a beer and invest a little money on the stockmarket. Invest being a relative term, maybe just 'lose' money on the stockmarket might be a better description. After one share crash or another the point of GASS changed to become simply a good excuse for the guys to do something different every month, as long as it was fun and as long as it also involved beer and food and each others company.
Having been doing it now for 43 years we must be doing something right. This website is for our members. It tells us what we are doing next and it reminds us of what we did last month and the months before. This is a new website started in 2018. If you want to see the old website for some real history, back to 2006, go to the button at the top of the homepage.
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GASS MEMBERS OVER THE YEARS
1982-2025
Names in Brown = The Current Members
Names in White = Members who have left GASS but shown in the year they originally joined
THE GASS ROLE OF HONOUR
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1982 - Nick Jenkins, John Brice, Brian Henslow, Chris Spree, Steve Bell
EX: Philip Henslow (RIP), Paul Trumper, Mike Hollis, Peter Dyke, Mike Dakers (RIP), Don Harris (RIP), George Pixley
1983 - Tony Mankelow
EX: Steve Bishop, Mike Tester, Mike Saffery (RIP), John Jenson, Colin Smith,
Peter Lock (RIP), Ollie Else, Roy Heath, Tony Wimble (RIP)
1985 - Peter Farrer, Hew Edeludalooo (don't ask)
EX: Mike Wade, Dave Dicketts, Phil Grey, Martyn Calder, Ray Dennis, Harry Wood (RIP)
1987 - EX: Pat Harnady
1988 - Derek Murphy
EX: Murry Evans,
1989 - Phil Cockerton
1990 - EX: Mike Collins, Mike Slack (RIP)
1991 - Len Smith
EX: Danny Revell, Jeff Wilding, John Terry, Barry Coughlan
1993 - Ray Guttridge
EX: Graham Carr, Tom Ryan (RIP)
1994 - EX: Roger Wootten, Spike Simmonds, Mike Edwards
1995 - EX: Paul Rutherford
1996 - Stuart Gilbert
1997 - EX: Keith Angus, John Worely, Alex Thompson, Mike Slator
1998 - Andrew Smith
1999 - Gary Easdown
2001 - EX: Simon Stroud
2006 - Ian Westlake
2007 - Ron Price
2012 - Graham Bridgewater
EX: Alan Ranger, Neil Rogers
2014 - Owen Brunning
2015 - Wayne Rodriguez
2016 - EX: Steve Riches (again, joined 1983 and 2006) EX: Don Pilcher RIP (joined 1986)
2019 - Steve Riches (back again)
2019 - Ollie Else (back again)
2022 - Ex Steve Riches (again) EX: Derek Murphy (again)
2024 - EX: Phil Ralph (joined 2000)
2025 = EX: Keith Evans (joined 2006)
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20 members - 12 from 30 years ago - 48 ex-members
Not bad for 42 years!
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Annual General Meetings
Held every September since 1994
1994 - Dublin - Ireland, 1995 - Brussels - Belgium, 1996 - Prague - Czech Republic, 1997 - Budapest - Hungary,
1998 - Krakow - Poland, 1999 - Lisbon - Portugal, 2000 - Athens - Greece, 2001 - Tallinn - Estonia,
2002 - Puerto Banus - Spain, 2003 - Madrid - Spain, 2004 - Dubrovnik - Croatia,
2005 - Riga - Latvia, 2006 - Lubijana -Slovenia, 2007 - Palma - Majorca 2008 - Brno - Slovakia
2009 Bodrum - Turkey, 2010 Butlins Bognor Regis - England, 2011 - Varna - Bulgaria
2012 - OUR THIRTIETH - IBIZA, 2013 - Vilamoura - Portugal, 2014 - Los Cristianos - Tenerife,
2015 - Benidorm - Spain, 2016 - Vilnius - Lithuania, 2017 - Puerto Banus, Spain, 2018 - Ibiza,
2019 - Palma Majorca. 2020 - Bloody COVID 19 so in the garden in Kent.
2021 - Pontins Lowestoft (still Covid) 2022 - Seville 2023 - Barcelona 2024 - Hvar Croatia
2025 - Puerto Banus
Tuesday Meetings
Drinking Games, Yard of Ale, Country Music Singer, Red Nose Day, Bat & Trap, Black Tie Dinner, Indoor Cricket,
Pancake Tossing,Sponge Ball Throwing, Guess The Logo Competition, Go Karts, Games Evening,
Investment Dinner, Poker Competition, Conker Fight, Greyhound Racing, JCB Racing, Brighton Casino, Clay Pigeon Shoot, Skittle Alley,Gentleman's Evening (Strippers!), Laser Quest, Bar Fly, Quad Riding, Croquet Match, Shadow Poker, Boule Competition,Chiselhurst Caves, Trout Fishing, Casper's Telephone Bar, Spoof Night, RE Museum, Blackjack Evening, Arm Wrestling,Radio Controlled Cars, Rodeo Riding, Ten Pin Bowling, Fireworks Display, Brag Cards Evening, Magic Display,Flagship Brewery Visit, Archery, Blow Water Polo, Visit Radio Caroline, Great Stour Brewery, Clairvoyant, Kent Police Museum, Tower Keys Ceremony, Dine in the Dark, Circus School, Champagne Tasting,Pub Theatre, Land-shuttle, Jet Skiing, Photography Contest, Secret Santa, Kite Flying, River Cruise, Climbing Wall,Bouncy Football, Blindfold Driving, Throw-Up Golf, F1 Grand Prix, Giant Jenga, Origami, Cartoonist, Pumping Station Visit,Quick Draw Competition, London Eye, Snail Racing, Ski Slope, Gladiators, Indoor Bowling, Pizza Making, Butchery Skills, Golf Cross, Mash Potato Wrestling, Ghost Hunt, Cross Country Car Race, Go Ape, Flat Green Bowls, Cabaret Club,Rifle Range, Trout Fishing, Land Rover Racing, Scooter Racing, Clown Face Painting, Home Made Beer Tasting,Haunted Pub Tour, Open Topped Bus Tour, Birds of Prey, Paddle Steamer Trip, Rent-A-Crowd, Hard Rock Casino,Quiz Night, Sittingbourne Light Railway, Auto-test, Backgammon Competition, Palmistry, HMS Belfast, Snow Park,Calendar Boys, Football Match, Tarot Card Reading, Speedway Racing, Military Vehicles, Paintball, Metal Detecting,Sailing, Karaoke, Burns Night, Texas Hold-em, Anne Summers Party, Stock Car Racing, Digger Wars, Ice Bar,Arkwright's Revenge, Airsoft Gunfight, Craps, Jousting, Bay-blast, Beer Crate Piling, Rugby Sing-Song, Maggot racingStuffed Horse Racing, Comedy Club, Caveau de Sabrage, Thames Boat Racing, Banger Racing, 20/20 Cricket Match,Laughter Training, Scrap Heap Challenge, Zorbing, Children's Birthday Party, Flight Simulator, Bingo, Wine Tasting,Hand Bell Ringing, Fire Walking, Sword Fighting, Helicopter Flying, Sikh Temple Visit, Choclatier Demonstration,
Male Voice Choir, Flower Arranging, Military Band, Humvee Driving, Boat Race, Hot Air Ballooning,
Segway Riding, Pop-Up Restaurant, Pedibus Ride, Cook-Your-Own Indian, Close-up Magic, F1 Simulator,
Kick Boxing, Open Mic Night, Lightship Visit, Gass Olympics, Arctic Explorer Talk, Portrait Photographs
Up at the 02, Walking on Broken Glass, Miniature Railway ride, Gillingham F.C Match, Tanks Museum,
Windsurfing, Pugil Sticks, HMS Belfast, The Tower of London Keys Ceremony, Wig & Pen Club, Falconry,
Ice Skating, Pottery Wheel, Olympic Bobsleigh, Morris Dancing, Punting on the Cam, Body Flying, Horse Racing,
Sumo Wrestling, Tobogganing, Paddle Steamer, Table Football, Wii Competition, Pig Racing, Yachting, Stick Fighting,Walking on Broken Glass, Scottish Country Dancing, Knife Throwing, Bouncy Boxing, Bull Whip Cracking, Dominatrix Lessons, White Water Rafting,Visit the Shard, Axe Throwing, Japanese War Drumming, Dance the Haka, Rum Tasting, Pantomime, Nude Art Class,Church Bell Ringing, Quarry Visit, Drive Tesla Cars, Line Dancing, Penny Farthing Riding, Samurai Swords, Punch & Judy Show,Close Up Magic Dinner, Kayaking on the Thames, Greek Dancing, Zoom Virtual Meeting (Coronovirus), Jedi Warrier Training, Dodgems and Skidwheels, Prison Island, Caricatures, Axe Throwing, Petanque, Spitfire Restoration, Cocktail Masterclass, Electric Go Karts, Hand Casting, Trial Cars, Christmas Turkey Shoot, Longest Zip Wire riding,
DJ class, Swan racing, Chainsaw Carving, Burlesque, Rope Making, War of the Worlds, Battle Karting,
The Cube, Spitfire Museum ......
.......to mention just a few !!!!
Plus loads of quality dinners, black tie events, guest speakers....
And loads and loads of simple pub nights where we just meet and chat.
And all that for forty quid a month - beer, food and entertainment - how do we do it??
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CONTACT US
Email : mail@gass.org.uk
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Brian Henslow, The Coach House, Stede Court Estate, Harrietsham, Kent ME17 1NR
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Historical website : 2006 -2017 - www.gass.org.uk