Ladies and Gentlemen
Please be advised that the webmaster is on annual leave from Tuesday 16th May until Saturday 10th June 2006.
During this period the webmaster will be off-line so no website updates will take place.
Please do not send any emails to the webmaster until he returns to avoid email post box glut and possible lost messages.
Thanks
Clive
Crossed The Bar
Hawkwood, Joe. 09/10/1951 - CSSX/905437 - 5 Mess - Blake - Gravesend, Kent, England.
HMS Tyrian, HMS Forth, HMS Tiger, RN Gunnery School, Chatham & Guzz diving schools, HMS Vernon. Commercial diving from 1959 until 1997.
Message received from Joe Hawkwoods daughter...........Sadly Joe passed away Thursday 11th May due to lung and liver cancer.
David Langdown '51 <siddlang@bigpond.com>
AGM Votes
The results of the Association 2006 Postal and AGM votes can be seen in the Members section under Minutes.
Committee Meeting
Gentlemen
Leicester Senior Service Club have confirmed that we can use their facilities at 1415 on Sunday 14 May. They will organise a tea-break with sandwiches etc.
There is plenty of parking space available in the new road adjoining the club house.
Could I ask those on the Internet to let those who are not know.
See you on Sunday 14th at Leicester at 1415.
Click HERE for MS Word route plan.
Tony Thipthorpe <thipthorpe@btconnect.com>
2006 AGM
I have asked the webmaster if he will kindly display this notice where it can easily be read by all members without too much difficulty.
The adverse comments on the Forum, many from members who did not attend Reunion, give an impression which, in my opinion, is quite false. Particularly, I was surprised by the statement that the AGM was a shambles. It went very smoothly (we started at 1010 and finished at 1230). The 10 minute delay in starting was caused by a large influx of members arriving at 0950.
In my view, a good meeting is one where members feel they have the right to put their point of view without being shouted down or berated by the opposition. We did not experience any such incidents. Everyone who wanted to make a contribution did so. There was no need to cut anyone off and from all the comments made on the Suggestion forms this was widely appreciated. Particularly, the contributions made to the welfare fund debate were very carefully and reasonably put and received in the same way. In fact, I thought the debate on the whole agenda was very constructive.
There was a problem with the vote counting on just one proposal (which enabled some members to seek an adjournment). However, that particular problem has already been overcome following reasonable discussion between committee members, so it is unlikely the item will need to be raised again.
In my view, it was another splendid reunion; Pontins did us proud (it is only a holiday camp!) and many of those attending indicated a desire to return there. Even the ladies formed a group to organise outings for themselves. The venue sub-committee will meet within the next two weeks or so to consider various venues including the alternatives available.
I would like to post my personal thanks to Dickie, Eileen, Geoff and Co. for another brilliant reunion. I also hope it does not get spoiled by those who wish to take it elsewhere, and let it become too formal. After all none of us joined Ganges with dinner suits did we.
Les 1963 <libryan@tiscali.co.uk>
May I, on behalf of my partner and myself, thank everybody
concerned with the organisation of the 2006 Reunion? Again
we had a fabulous time, that seems to be the accepted norm
for these occasions, but we realise that a lot of hard work has
been put in to achieve that degree of exellence..
Two very satisfied re-unioneers.
Roy 'Titch' Peters <carolepeter@wanadoo.es> No. 5650 & Carole.
I would like to add my thanks to all who made the reunion so special again. I would like to add an opinion that
Pakefield provides us with accommodation for as many as needs it, fairly convenient to the museum and old site
if we wish to visit, extra safe parking, extra safe surroundings, leaving us with peace of mind for the weekend
that out cars are safe and whatever our condition during the festivities we will not be deprived of our Burberrys,
nor will we be ragged bagged and sent on our ways rejoicing. If we change the venue can we all fit in one place,
do we all sit down together, can we park at the accommodation, will our cars still be there when we leave,
do you REALLY think the beer will be cheaper, will it be available all night and when we stagger back to the
accommodation will we get there intact? I think that the dream will not turn into reality and the association
will suffer worse damage than has already been done by the stirrers we have amongst our members.
Over many years of reunions I have made many good friends who didn't join up with me, a lot I met at the meal
tables at different times, formal dinners don't allow that to happen, no~~!! members, think long and hard before you vote for a change.
Thanks again for a wonderful weekend.
Topsey Turner 59 <stfr@o-turner.freeserve.co.uk>
Having read with interest the comments made by rank and file members, I wish to add the support of the members,
wives and widows of the Mid-Herts Division to keeping our re-unions at Pakefield. Our thanks to Dickie and Eileen for
the organisation involved, they have always done their best for us... keep up the good work. A special 'Thank You' to
Mr 'Shush-Shush' for the great entertainment during the week-end 2006 at Pakefield... Well Done. It was great
and well carried out, and I'm glad the appreciation of the 'audience' was so quickly given.
Frank Phillips <fgp.benbow46@tiscali.co.uk> Chairman, Mid-Herts. Divn.
Collingwood Division's winning Tug-of War team 19th of March 1936
This is the photograph of the Collingwood Division's winning Tug-of War team. The hat ribbon of AB Richards reads HMS Victory. Please click on the photograph to see a larger version.
On the back of this photograph my father has written the following, "Final, Thursday the 19th of March 1936, in the 2nd round of 2 pulls to 1 the shortest pull 49 seconds. In the final the longest pull was 2 minutes 49 seconds."
I would like to know if the Dupree Cup is still competed for with the Royal Navy tug of war teams. Perhaps somebody could let me know?
My father AB Patten was at HMS Ganges as a boy sailor (aged 16 years) in 1924 and he was a button boy during his time there, at the start of his 14 year Royal Naval Service of quote "Steel ships and Iron men"
The ships he served on are as follows:
HMS Iron Duke, (Which I believe was a training ship)
HMS Effingham (The heavy cruiser for his first 3 year commission in the Indian Ocean)
HMS Ramillies
HMS Skate
HMS Amazon
HMS Nelson
HMS Repulse (Disembarked from Repulse in 1938 whilst in the Mediterranean to a light cruiser bound for England and de-mob from the Royal Navy)
There must be relatives of the sailors in this photograph who would like a copy of the photograph, If they e-mail me John Pattern <patten29@btinternet.com> I will be more than pleased to e-mail them a copy.
Kind Regards
John Patten.
