The Regency of Lady Enide
Sophia Flaxen 1990-1991

Sophia was elected Regent; Nick Brooke, like Rhiannon, remained on the committee but unfortunately eventually withdrew from the Society in Hilary Term. The committee was smaller and perhaps more experienced this year, partly because active and total membership had continued a downward trend begun in 1988, and also because active members were heavily involved at the same time in keeping History Alive active, and launching the Oxford Tolkien Society, Taruithorn. One of the Taruithorn founders, Louise Dennis, did find time to edit Ceridwen's Cauldron which was again from Hilary merged with the termcard. She produced three very good issues, which attempted to vary the content of articles with puzzles, crosswords and the occasioanl song or poem.

Following the summer pilgrimage to Cornwall, Michaelmas saw the Society return to the traditional format of beginning in first week with a talk (written by the now departed Chris Gidlow, but read by Stewart Grime), followed by Monty Python... in second week. Nick obtained two dozen free tickets to see Le Morte D'Arthur at the Lyric, Hammersmith, in London. Another innovation during this year was the initiative of Mike Hagen, 'An Evening with Alfred Lord Tennyson', in which members read Arthurian poetry in black tie while drinking sherry. The Banquet returned to New College undercroft; there was also a Celtic Festival as usual in Hilary, and a weekend in North Wales.

There were new speakers as well, such as Leslie Glickman, Cumbria county archaeologist Tom Clare, and Frank Underwood who spoke on William Morris. Returning speakers included John Matthews, Peter Ewing, 'Geoff', and should also have included Nikolai Tolstoy but there was a confusion of engagements.

Another theatre trip rounded off Sophia's Presidency, to see A Tiny Drop of Blood at the Pegasus Theatre. The Society continued in sufficient health for a new committee to be elected at the Trinity AGM, but it seemed that contested elections were a thing of the past.


Committee for 1990-1991

Regent/President:	SOPHIA FLAXEN (Lady Enide)	Brasenose
Chancellor/Secretary:	MATT GOSS-CUSTARD (Sir Gareth)	Exeter
Seneschal/Treasurer:	PAUL McDERMOTT (Sir Dinadan)	Hertford
Butler/Social Secretary:MICHAEL HAGEN (King Uriens of Rheged)
							Balliol (res. T90)
			SARAH STURCH (Lady Maledisante Beauvivante)
						Christ Church (T90-M90)
			DAVE PRICE (Sir Bors de Ganis)  Wadham (M90-)
Scribe/Magazine Editor: LOUISE DENNIS (Lady Avenable)	Somerville
Herald:			NICK BROOKE (Sir Kay)		Balliol (res. H91)
Chamberlain:		LIZ HUMPHRY (Queen Morgause)	Somerville (res. M90)
Masked Abbot:		ANDREW SMITH (Naciens the Hermit)
Vice-Regents:		LYNNE ELSON (Lady Argente)
			RACHEL LOCKLIN (Queen Isolde)	Worcester
Chief Adviser:		STEWART GRIME (Sir Tristan)	Oriel