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Welcome to new members |
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We are delighted to welcome new members Jim and Grace Blake and Harry Kidney, a WW 2 veteran. Many will remember Colonel Blake as senior Royal Signals Officer in Aldershot in the mid 1990s. He is now married to Grace and retired from the Army. Our membership now stands at 125 but we need more! If readers know of potential new members please let the committee know without delay. |
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Dedication of New Branch Standard, and AGM |
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Future Branch, Local and Corps Events |
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In this edition are details of the range of events listed below. Please click here to make your booking. |
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The Things They Do For England! |
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Forthcoming Branch Events |
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Tenth Annual Quiz Night in the Garrison Sergeants Mess |
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Thursday 20 May |
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With a fanfare of trumpets we announce our Annual Quiz Night for the tenth successive year, an event that has become one of the most popular in our calendar. This year, it will be held in its traditional venue: The Garrison Sergeants’ Mess, by kind permission of Joe Fairbairn and the Mess Committee. So, come along, pit your wits and enjoy this very social event. Separate invitations are being sent to visiting teams, including garrison units, neighbouring branches and, for the first time, RHQ in Blandford. Prizes will be awarded to the first three teams. Each team will comprise four people and it would be very helpful to the smooth running of the event if as many as possible would form their own teams in advance. There will be five rounds of questions and a curry buffet supper (with alternative dish) will be served about the halfway mark. An inclusive charge of £7 per head, payable on the night, will cover the cost of the buffet and quiz prizes. All contestants will receive a free strip of raffle tickets. Additional raffle tickets will be on sale |
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Dress Rehearsal for Trooping the Colour |
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Saturday 5th June |
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This event (The Colonel’s Review) was notified in our Autumn 2003 edition, when invitations to attend were requested by the end of January. About 10 members have applied. Peter Sharpe will be sending tickets to applicants during the month of May. |
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Visit to Painshill Park, Cobham, with Guided Tour |
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Sunday 18 July 2004. (Note change of date from that previously advertised) Meet at 10.45 am at Visitors’ Centre |
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Painshill Park, the location of our July meeting, is one of the prime beauty spots of southern England, situated close to the town of Cobham with very easy access from the A3. |
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After 1948, Painshill Park fell into dereliction and it wasn’t until 1981 when the Painshill Park Trust was formed that the restoration began. The park has been painstakingly restored to its original pre-eminence, winning the Europa Nostra Medal for the “exemplary restoration from a state of extreme neglect, of a most important 18th century landscape park and its extraordinary garden buildings.” Our guided tour will cover approximately 1 mile of the grounds and will last for about 1 hour, after which lunch may be taken and visitors will be free to continue their tour if they so wish. Fortunately, on the day we have chosen, the MG Sports Owners Club will be completing their Surrey Run in the grounds of Painshill from about 1pm, so motoring enthusiasts and others will have the added opportunity of observing this event! Cars may be parked in the main car park prior to assembling at the Visitors’ Centre by 10.45 am. If you wish to know more about Painshill, visit www.painshill.co.uk |
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Cost will be just £8 per head, including the guided tour. Please return Annex ‘B’ of the hardcopy newsletter with your cheque to reach Peter Sharpe by Friday 14th June or click here to make your booking. |
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SOVEREIGN’S PARADE DRESS REHEARSAL AT RMA, SANDHURST |
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Wednesday 4 August Seated by 10.45 am We and our neighbouring branches are again invited to watch this highly impressive and well-attended event, the Commandant’s Rehearsal for the Sovereign’s Parade at the Royal Military Academy. Please aim to arrive at the Staff College Gate by 10.30 am, as seats must be occupied by 10.45 am. Facilities will be made available at the Cricket Pavilion for lunch, so please bring picnic and light refreshments with you. As the RMA authorities require a contribution for use of their facilities, £1 per head will be payable with your replies. Dress: Lounge suit or blazer and flannels. |
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Please return Annex ‘B’ of the hardcopy newsletter with your cheque, made out to ‘Royal Signals Association, Aldershot Branch’ to reach Peter Sharpe by 21st July or click here to make your booking. |
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BAND CONCERT AT KNELLER HALL, TWICKENHAM |
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Wednesday 4 August Grounds open: 6.30 pm Seating by 7.50 pm Concert 8 to 9.30 pm For the last four years, a group from the Branch has enjoyed this ever-popular military band concert evening at Kneller Hall. As for last year, we have gone for the final concert of the season, which is considered to be the highlight occasion. We have again succeeded in getting a limited number of tickets for Branch members and their guests and, by booking early, we have obtained seats near the front. This again occurs on the same day as the RMA event earlier in the day, so why not make it a bumper day out, with an evening picnic following your lunch-time one! Kneller Hall is a short drive up the M3 towards London and easy to find, once in the vicinity of Twickenham Rugby Stadium. Cars may be parked in the grounds. We suggest that you bring food and drink, folding chairs etc and join other Branch members in the car park to enjoy a social picnic before the performance. Oh, and don’t forget that an umbrella could come in useful! |
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The cost per head for Kneller Hall is £8 and, as there may be a heavy demand for tickets, you are advised to get your bids in without delay. If we are over-subscribed, allocation will be strictly on a first come first served basis. Please send your requests using Annex ‘D’ to Peter Sharpe as soon as possible, with cheques made out to ‘Royal Signals Association, Aldershot Branch’ Branch’ or click here to make your booking. Tickets will be sent to you. Any unsuccessful applicants will be notified and their cheques returned. |
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LUNCH AT THE PUB |
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The branch membership numbers some 20 widows and we are very keen that they should feel able to participate in our activities. Members should therefore be aware that a get-together over a pub lunch has been arranged. The first such gathering is to be held on Wednesday 26th May at The Bat and Ball, Wrecclesham, Farnham, starting at 12.15 pm. We hope that this will become a regular feature on our branch calendar, perhaps being held twice a year. Widows of former members have been separately notified of this event and transport will be arranged where necessary. The Bat and Ball is an attractive hostelry in the Bourne valley south of Farnham. It has recently been completely refurbished and now serves an excellent selection of meals and snacks. |
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And for your diaries, details in our next edition: |
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Friday 19 September Visit to Denbies Winery, near Dorking Sunday 24 October Autumn Lunch at Army Golf Club Thursday 18 November Rhythm and Blues Evening December date to be notified Christmas Lunch |
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Aldershot Garrison and Neighbouring Organisations |
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150 YEARS OF THE ARMY IN ALDERSHOT Friday 30 April This year sees the 150th anniversary of Aldershot as Home of the British Army. As part of the celebrations to mark this event, a major parade is to be held on Friday 30 April in the town of Aldershot, with the salute taken by HRH The Princess Royal at the Princes Hall. The parade, which starts at 11 am, will consist not only of Regular Army contingents, but will include representatives of Regimental Associations, Royal British Legion, Normandy and Canadian Veterans and Freemen of the Borough of Rushmoor. The parade starts at Montgomery Square, proceeds down Hospital Hill past Princes Hall, where the salute will be taken, the first detachment passing the saluting base about midday. The parade continues, skirting the town via Victoria Road and Station Road to the NAAFI roundabout, thence up Gun Hill and via Hospital Road to finish at Montgomery Lines. Spectators may chose their own vantage point, but the best will probably be the gardens opposite Princes Hall. Spectators are encouraged to be in situ by 10.30 am. Car parking will be very tight. Spectators will be encouraged to use the Galleries and Wellington Centre car parks, which will clearly signed. Other car parks near the station are also within easy reach. WINCHESTER BRANCH, WRAC ASSOCIATION: VISIT TO ALTON BREWERY Thursday 13 May The Winchester Branch of the WRAC Association invite members to join them in a visit to the Alton Brewery on Thursday 13 May. Cost will be £10 per head, including refreshments. (We assume this is in addition to the beer!) Those interested please email Alison Schofield on scoffja@yahoo.co.uk GHURKA WELFARE FUND EVENT: CONCERT BY HART MALE VOICE CHOIR Saturday 22 May The N.E.Hampshire Friends of the Ghurkas are organising a Choral concert on Saturday 22 May in the RC Cathedral of the Bishop of the Forces, Queens Avenue, Aldershot, starting at 7.15 pm. The internationally famous Hart Male Voice Choir will be performing. Tickets at £5 per head will be available at the church entrance on the night, or in advance, from mid April from Ian Ronald. There will be plenty of free car parking space. All proceeds will go to the Gurkha Welfare Fund |
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Spotlight on Corps Activities |
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Forthcoming Corps events are as follows: |
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Tuesday 11 May Corps Dinner in London Sat/Sun 26/27 June Royal Signals Association Annual Reunion, Blandford Sunday 27 June Annual Officers’ Luncheon, Blandford |
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Details of the Corps Dinner, Officers Luncheon and some other events are given in the RHQ Newsletter received in March. Members should please note that the Officers’ Luncheon is not part of the Association Annual Reunion, so a separate booking is required. |
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The outline programme for the Royal Signals Association Reunion is: |
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Full administrative details of the RSA Reunion may be obtained by contacting before 6th June Jane Knight, at the address given in hard copy newsletter, with SAE. |
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Recent Branch Activities |
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CHRISTMAS LUNCH IN ST OMER BARRACKS For the second year running the branch, joined by members of 261 Signal Squadron, enjoyed an excellent Christmas Lunch at the Army School of Catering. We were pleased to welcome as our guests Lt Col Carl Conlon and Maj Bernard Redshaw, enjoying a day out from RHQ in the absence of the Regimental Secretary. We are extremely fortunate to have this facility on our doorstep and we were looked after very attentively by the trainee mess stewards, mostly of Senior NCO rank, right from the time we entered the mess. We shall hope to be able to return in future years to assist the Army’s training programme in this very pleasant manner. Our thanks are due to the commander, staff and trainees of the School. 261 SIGNAL SQUADRON IN THE GULF For our January meeting we were given a firsthand account of the exploits of 261 Signal Squadron in Southern Iraq during the second half of 2003. Major Tim Allen, who took command of the squadron while it was deployed on operations, introduced the presentation and handed over to RSM Kevin Smith who had gone to great lengths to put together a comprehensive set of slides. Finally, Corporal David Petty gave us a grass roots view of life on Operation Telic. Afterwards, the assembled company adjourned to the bar for refreshments and to swap yarns. The “oldies,” greatly impressed by the air conditioned accommodation enjoyed by the squadron at least for part of their time in Iraq, related their own (no doubt exaggerated) stories of how tough it was in times past. The evening was a resounding success and another good example of the good relations between serving and retired members of the Corps that has grown up in the garrison. We express our gratitude to Major Allen, all his senior ranks, and Corporal Petty, for their support and hospitality. VISIT TO ALDERSHOT MILITARY MUSEUM, QUEENS AVENUE After a long gap in February without a meeting, members assembled in March at the Aldershot Military Museum in Queens Avenue. This was a return visit (the last one being just ten years ago!) and thus a chance to see how the museum had developed and expanded – an appropriate event in the year in which 150 years of the Army in Aldershot is being celebrated, as described elsewhere in this Newsletter. Welfare Appeal Our annual Welfare Appeal for the Royal Signals Association resulted in a total from our branch members of £266. We have been asked by RHQ to pass on their very grateful thanks to all contributors for this excellent figure. |
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Some Medical Notes |
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Digital Hearing Aids An article on hearing aids appeared in the November issue of “Pennant”, the journal of the Forces Pension Society. This may be of interest to members with hearing damaged during their service or with advancing years. It appears that such persons are entitled to the very latest digital hearing aids free on the NHS as part of a £94m programme. These digital aids process sound in ways not possible with the old analogue systems and can be tailored to suit individual needs. The Department of Health is working with the Royal Institute for Deaf People (RNID) to introduce this new scheme in all parts of the country by April 2005. Anyone who is feels in need of this service should first of all enquire about it with their GP. If satisfaction is not achieved there, the RNID should be approached direct. While on the subject of medical matters.......... If you believe that your medical practitioner’s powers of expression are beyond reproach, you may change your mind when you read some entries actually found in patients’ medical charts: · Patient has chest pain if she lies on her left side for over a year
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