2024 the Rise of a Pheonix

2024 Jan to April 2025

As a new tabler, being a member for barely over a year. I wanted to revisit and recapture what we have been up to during the last year. It was tradition that the years activities be accounted for in the Annual General Meeting and what other place would be best to start a record of them than our new shiny website blog!

We have seen a sweeping change from 1 member and a few honouree's keeping the club alive, to what we are today. A Thriving Young Mans club that is growing and improving.

It would be remiss of me to not highlight and acknowledge the wonderful work and perseverance of our longest current member, Dan Hales. This man has kept tabling going and ensured that Round Table has kept a foothold in Halifax to continue supporting the community and inspire young lads to do the same. Dan has been chairman of Halifax for 5 years for Halifax Round Table as it went through growing pains of losing members to their transition to 41 club, since then it has been revitalised and flourished. Thank you Dan!

Well done Dan on being Halifax's longest serving chairman back to back, potentially even regionally or nationally. An obligatory shout to the honouree members of Halifax Round Table who alongside Dan, Kept this group alive. We wish our incoming Chairman,Luke Dalby, a successful  coming year for 2025-2026. Good Luck!

I myself first dabbled in tabling February 2024. As an honorary I have had the pleasure of joining Halifax Round Table in dozens of socials and helped the communities of Halifax and Calderdale whilst having a laugh with some fantastic fellow tablers, I became a fully fledged member of Halifax Round Table in April 2024. I have been fortunate to not only have incredible experiences within my home town of Halifax, but also jumped farther afield to other tables and even travel abroad with my fellow tablers of Halifax on our annual president weekend. I look forward to the coming year being a part of the regional area 9 tables (Yorkshire area) and National. I wish my fellow tablers safe travels and merriment with their up and coming International Tabling at the annual Numbers meeting, where our Table (Table 14) joins other Table 14's from across Europe to celebrate and do what tablers do best! Create lifelong experiences and make lifelong friends!

I will keep the month by month brief, however during the year 2024 to 2025, HXRT raised £1844.90 for Overgate Hospice, Mayfield Trust not to mentuion our support towards national round table in thier year supporting Anthony Noaln charities and embarked on a social every month in addition to our start of month business meetings and socials.

Our esteemed honorary member Regan Dickenson took the reigns on his annual poker night in Honour and Remembrance of a former Table member, Steve Burns, a regional affair with members from all Yorkshire flocking to Rotherham to test their poker skills against each other. Pie and peas included, winner! 

July saw HXRT soaring to victory in the tennis courts other the Queensbury sports day. Ping Pong, Squash, Tennis and other fine racket sports were the battlefield on which our athletes descended. The winner of the sports day is still debateable and argued up to the current day.

HXRT was fortunate enough to head over to Huddersfield round table and go to their annual point to point event, a scavenger/Easter egg hunt of sorts from pub top pub. Top night had by all!

Regional events were pilling up for this time of the year as some of our members headed to sheffield for some wheelchair rugby. A demanding sport for certain!

Another exciting month in July with Jules and Regan Dickenson accompanied by Dan Hales whom stormed the woodland games organised by area 9 tables. They took home many trophies / medals with sheer talent. Although I did hear their Karaoke might need some lesson/guidance. Well done lads. Dont mind me saying you look great in this photo being used by regional and national round table. (Twit Twoo)

Keeping in the competitive spirit, which birthed a new social which hopefully will become an annual re occurrence amply named 'the pub Olympics' A athletic evening of bowling, snooker, pool, boxing machine and weirdly enough, arm wrestling. We were fortunate to have the Area 9 Chairman John Gilbert to come along and share in the antics. More pub games to be included as we continue this fine tradition. The points at the end of the night were tallied and our fine Nick Perkins took home the trophy...well in spirit, a trophy is yet to be determined.

November saw our members quench thier lust for speed in leeds with an all out battle of precision Go-karting followed by a night out in leeds!

January we broke through the blues with a beer and a catch up from the festive period, not to mention some expert markmanship at the Halifax Air Gun club. Cracking shooting chaps!

February rolled through and our sitting President Mr Lee Cattermole treat HFRT to a death defying hike through Kessick and its mountainoues ridges. Happy to report our boys made it back in one piece! Well Done Lee!

Through the month of March we took to the target boards at Axe-A-Lot Halifax for some axe throwing and a few beveridges at the local. We also had a meet with the lovely staff from Mayfield Trust at our business meet to show the hard graft we put in over chirstmas. Well done lads!

April marked the end of the year for table 2024/25 and welcomed in the new year 25/26. With it, we thanked our previous chair for his dedication and welcomed new chair Luke Dalby! We welcomed our new members to the fold and embarked on another smashing year.

We might have gone off the rails with the start to 2025, ill let you be the judge with our Annual General Meeting being Fancy Dress. Guest appearance from the new chair for 2025 Luke Trump, Former chairman Danny McPhee and Indiana Gary were breath taking. Thank god we had Life guard shaun and cheerleader Nick there to help. We had the two New members become official Tablers, Shaun and Gary! Welcome to the fold lads, swore in by our very own president for 2025 Regan Dickenson. We had the pleasure and priveledge of also joining Halifax 41 club at thier AGM for a splendid meal and fab company as always! The following month we also Welcomed Alfie and Wes aboard Halifax Table as official tablers, set to do great things chaps!

April 2024 saw four new members join the table (including myself) and with our Area 9 chairman visiting to make the new pledges official at our Annual General Meeting.

We then joined our elder counterparts 41 club Halifax, in their AGM for a lovely recap of their adventures over the year and wishing well for the incoming chairman.

April was a busy affair by far with HXRT taking their leave to embark on the Presidents Trip of none other than James Wilkinson to the luscious weather provided by Palma. The lads enjoyed some fine culture, fine ale, Sea Kayaking, Cliff jumping and sunny beaches during their time here...oh and experienced a smashing trip to hospital with the chairman (pun intended). Is a holiday complete without a bit of drama? 

May rolled round quicker than anticipated with the lads donning full combat gear and trying their hand at airsoft in Huddersfield's Halo Mill. Its fair to say we left it all out in the arena...well some of us brought souvenirs/fresh wounds home!

June saw HXRT relive a walk set by an earlier president of the club, Led by our Fearless Lee Cattermole, we charged 12k across Hebden bridge, Hard Castle Craggs and back to civilisation. No members lost, however my boots took a battering and maybe the sun got to a few of us. In the spirit of RT we adopted, adapted and improved these boots to withstand the remaining walk. Thanks goodness for duct tape and paracord.

The annual Canal bike ride spanning the sowerby bridge canal routes was undertaken the same month with HXRT, 41 club embers taking to the canals with grace and speed. Well...most of them. We also found out fold away bikes were not fit for purpose, eh Nick? Although no one ended up in the canal, some of these chaps drink like a fish. The night was topped off with an excellent curry night at the village in Sowerby bridge.

Roll on September for an early Oktoberfest Celebrations held at Ogden Water's Adventure world. We donned the lederhosen, we sang the German anthems, danced on the tables and outshouted  the oompa band with ease. A night to remember for sure, for some. We did our fore fathers proud.

October saw the gang head to Rex Cinema in Elland, a lovely canal walk followed by some serious laughing pains at the annual Halifax Comedy festival touring the area. Fab night! Later in the month, the gang headed to The Cross Keys in siddal for the annual Race Horse Night, raising £800 for Overgate Hospice. Raffles, race betting and general shenanigans were had. All jockeys looked the part, especially the one riding a unicorn? Thankyou to our Wonderful Regan Dickenson for taking control of the admin and bet tracking so members of the public and patrons of the Cross Keys pub could have a lovely and lively evening!

December was by far the busiest time of year for us, we all came together with our bretheren at 41 club and our sister organisations Tangent/Ladies Circle to bring the Santa Sleigh rounds to the streets of Caldrdale. We ran this throughout the week. All members on board and helping where they can to raise money for Mayfield Trust! The week was ended with a very much needed social..thats right yiou got it! SANTA NIGHT! Everyone Donned a Santa costume and took to the streets of Halifax for a fab night out on the town.

November also saw the return of the Liddington Trophy, a coveted event where Halifax Round table and thier counterparts at Halifax 41 club face off in a head to head battle for total victory. We were fortunate enough to take the Trophy home. A fantastic event held by Halifax 41 club, thank you boys for hosting us and making it a smashing event. Pie and peas were top notch!

And that just about closes out the year just gone. A tonne of stuff ive most likely missed along the way or would have you reading for far too long. I guess you will just have to come and see what we are up to next! All the best for the upcoming year of Tabling gentlemen!