AFTER years of lunching in all-male company and spilling gravy down their club ties, members of the World’s Greatest Lunch Club decided it was time their wives got a look in – so they invited them to their Christmas beano at Joe Allen’s watering hole in Covent Garden, London.
And the wives, who may have been excused for fearing they might die of boredom, had a jolly good time, according to a slightly befuddled Lord Drone who took some of these pics with his Box Brownie. Other photos by ROGER WATKINS
ROUND TABLERS*: Clockwise from foreground, Lamar Raine and David Eliades, Jeanette Bishop, Alan Frame, Alastair and Chris McIntyre, Ashley Walton, Pat Pilton, Joan Walton, Roger and Carol Watkins and Terry Manners. *Yes, yes, we know it’s oval really, we don’t let the facts get in the way of a good caption bullet
NICE SHOT OF THE WATER JUG: Well it made Roger and Carol Watkins and Terry Manners laugh
GLASS HALF FULL: David Eliades gives Carol Watkins a top-up
GLASSES HALF EMPTY: Where’s the bloody waiter when you’ve got a thirst on? STEWARD!
HATSTAND: Ashley Walton snuggles up to the coats as he confides in Chris McIntyre
HEATED CONVERSATION: Ashley Walton gets on like a house on fire with Chris McIntyre
WHISPER YE NOT: Alan Frame confides with Alastair McIntyre as Jeanette Bishop looks the other way – and who can blame her?
THREE’S COMPANY: Lamar Raine, David and Jeanette
PHONE HOME: Alan Frame fiddles with his blower while the others talk among themselves

JUST GOOD FRIENDS: Chris McIntyre and Ashley Walton
SAME AGAIN BUT DIFFERENT: Another snap … that’s all folks!