The new committee almost immediately committed itself to a major long-term project - the Tenth Anniversary Banquet, to be held in Trinity 1992. It was decided to invite every committee member and anyone else who had made a significant contribution to the Society. Preparations were continuous throughout the year, gaining momentum once 1992 dawned.
For the moment, Matt inherited Sophia's search for new speakers, resulting in the visits in Trinity of Roger Simpson, who spoke on neglected nineteenth-century Pre-Raphaelite poet William Fulford, and of Leslie Clickman, who spoke on 'Fate, Fortune and Free Will in Arthurian Romance'. There was another Quest Picnic, this time held in woods near Newbury which were regularly used by Fools and Heroes, the Live Role-Playing society of which Louise Dennis was a member. The idea of an evening trip to Stonehenge was revived, and was enlivened in 1991 by the appearnace among the stones of Terence Meaden, the unorthodox meterologist and crop circle theorist, who was at that time writing a book on Stonehenge and its origins. A running theme of committee meetings from then on was that Meaden should be invited to speak to the Society, which was frequently and firmly rejected by Matt, perhaps conscious of his academic reputation as a postgraduate atmospheric physicist.
The Summer Pilgrimage to Scotland and the North of England was perhaps notable as the one in which most miles were covered. Places investigated included Lindisfarne off Northumberland - noted for its ruined abbey and by several in the Society for its meadery - and the Pictish broch at Camster in the Northern Highlands.
Michaelmas followed an unremarkable pattern. Geoff spoke on 'Troth, Jousters and the Armorican Fey' and Michael Maclagan returned with his talk on Arthurian heraldry, delayed from the previous Hilary. The Banquet was held at the end of seventh week, held in the undercroft of Frewin Hall, Brasenose's annexe on New Inn Hall Street. This was notable for the evening's entertainer, Brian Boothby, being locked in by a porter when he tried to leave in his car. As colleges tightened their regulations, it became more and more difficult to find venues for such events. Serving arrangements were supervised by Sophia's former housemate, Julie Smith, as Chief Wench. Julie became an unofficial member of the committee for the remainder of the year.
Hilary saw only one speaker, freelance Arthurian exhibitioner and poster-publisher Ian Forrester-Roberts, who spoke on the connection between Cathar dualism in the Arthurian legends and the beliefs of the Plains Indians. There was another Arthurian poetry evening, and a weekend in South Wales including a visit to Caerleon, a banquet at St Briavels Youth Hostel, and an encounter with Morgan le Fey - alias Rhiannon Davies, who had by now set up the Cardiff Arthurian Society.
May Morning 1992 was spent at the Rollright Stones. Matt's Presidency was rounded off by a video screening, the film Sword of Merlin being shown, summed up in the termcard with the words "Supposed to be about Americans and Stonehenge".
Ceridwen's Cauldron hit problems after the new Scribe, Liz Humphry, was seriously injured in a road accident and was forced to take a year out of university. The Michaelmas edition did not appear until Hilary and its distribution was erratic. For Hilary, Butler Dave Price deployed the skills he was already using on the Oxford University Student Union newsletter, Take One, and produced at short notice the first issue of the magazine to be laid out in Times New Roman.
By the onset of Trinity plans for the Anniversary Banquet were well advanced, and for the first time it was decided not to bring in outside caterers, but instead to have Society members cook it. The job was to be undertaken by Victoria Clare and Elspeth Edward after their finals, alongside Julie. A Garden Party would be held at the end of sixth week in Exeter College garden, followed by a banquet for fifty at St Margaret's Institute on Polstead Road in North Oxford.
Unfortunately the Society had picked up very few active new members in Matt's year. It would be a reshuffled set of old faces who prepared and presided at the Tenth Anniversary Banquet.
Regent/President: MATT GOSS-CUSTARD (Sir Gareth) Exeter Chancellor/Secretary: JAMES OWEN (Sir Geraint) St Anne's Seneschal/Treasurer: PAUL McDERMOTT (Sir Dinadan) Hertford Butler/Social Secretary:DAVE PRICE (Sir Bors de Ganis) Wadham Scribe/Magazine Editor: LIZ HUMPHRY (Queen Morgause) Somerville (-H92) DAVE PRICE (Sir Bors de Ganis) Wadham (H92-) Chamberlain: VICTORIA CLARE (Dennis the Peasant) St Hilda's Constable: LOUISE DENNIS (Lady Avenable) Somerville Marshal: IAN PORTMAN (Sir Robin the Not-So-Brave) St Anne's Page: ELSPETH EDWARD (Lady Elaine of Astolat) Merton Vice-Presidents: STEWART GRIME (Sir Tristan) Oriel RACHEL LOCKLIN (Queen Isolde) Worcester ERMINTRUDE (Sir Cow) Magic Roundabout Chief Adviser: SOPHIA FLAXEN (Lady Enide)