REUNIONS
Since the Association was formed in 1992, these informal gatherings have been held annually at the Holiday Inn - Birmingham-Bromsgrove (known previously as the Pine Lodge, the Hanover International and the Bromsgrove Hotel) in Bromsgrove. In the early days we once had 110 attending, but age has reduced that number and we were down to 47 at the 2009 reunion. The 19th reunion will be held as usual in Bromsgrove on Saturday 2nd October 2010. For details of the reunion, please contact one of the Committee members who can be found on the Officials page of the web site. If you haven't been to a reunion before, then why not join us in 2010 when we celebrate 65 years since we signed on. Life is too short to keep putting it off. If you are getting old and infirm like some of us (!), then ask your sons or daughters, or even your grandchildren, to bring you along. They will be most welcome to join us. In fact in 2009, 25 of the 47 attendees were family and friends, including a sons, daughters and a grandson, so it was a truly family occasion.
2009 REUNION
We gathered at the Birmingham-Bromsgrove Holiday Inn (ex Pine Lodge, Hanover International & Bromsgrove Hotel) on 26th September to celebrate 61 years since we passed out. Although the hotel name has changed yet again, the facilities are as good, if not better than before. It has been "home" to us for sixteen of the eighteen annual reunions held to date, and they have looked after us so well over the years that we do not intend to change the venue in the years to come. We were 47 in number, down from 68 last year, but your Committee was pleased with the response, especially as we are all "getting on a bit". We should have been 49, but unfortunately Freda Lee,s son Nigel was taken ill on the day and had to cancel at the last minute. Of the 47 attendees, 22 were members and 25 wives, family and friends as usual a 51 st Family occasion.
On parade were, by trade.
Geoff & Janice Bradshaw with their daughter Sarah, and Chris Brill.
Eric Beale, Bernadette with her husband Steve & sister Jo, Ginge & Sheila Britten with their daughter Deborah & husband John, Sam & Margaret Bugg, Taff & Kay Evans, Mike & Pat Gill, Toddy & Thelma Hood, Stan Hyde, Llyn John, Skate & Hazel Lee, Jimmy Middleton, John Oakes & daughter Barbara,and Ted Skinner.
Ruth Brooks & Hazel Lunan, Jim & Elizabeth Dowdell and Roy & Irene Pollit.
Nobby & Hilary Clarke, Del Harris with grandson Charlie, and Ken & Esther Savage.
Apologies were received from Paddy Bolster, Jock Espie, Ken Gault, Tom McHarry, John McLaren, Roy Manington, Geoff Mason, Brian Perryman, Jimmy Reynolds, Robbie Roberts, John Shadrack, Gus Thorogood, Spider Webb and Kay Wilson. Some of whom have been none too well and are hoping to attend this year, with Jock Espie and Gus Thorogood both attending their grandchildren's weddings which is good enough as an excuse, but they could have persuaded their grandchildren to change the wedding date! We also received best wishes from our oppo's in Oz Ginge Ward, Laurie Gillard, Frank Solomon and Jack Smith.
Unfortunately our piper was an absentee, so we weren't piped in to dinner. At the dinner, our Chairman, Sam, gave a special welcome to Charlie Vickers who chauffeured his granddad Del Harris to the reunion. Charlie was featured in the photograph in the February newsletter, along with Del, when Del attended Charlie's Passing Out Parade at Halton last year. So, in our midst, we had another who had passed out from his "apprenticeship" at Halton, albeit 60 years after we did! It transpired that Charlie had passed out from his engineering course at Cosford just 4 days earlier. Sam asked the gathering "What trade do you think he is in?" The gathering hooted their response with "He must be a Plumber!" to the cheers of the Plumbers table! Sure enough, he is following in granddad's footsteps. (To the uninitiated, a "Plumber" is our name for the Armourers.
The wine flowed, with thanks to Robbie Roberts and Tom McHarry, who funded their request that there be plenty of "lubricant" to ensure that a good evening was had by one and all in their absence. We had the usual raffle, and numerous prizes were brought along by the attendees, along with prizes donated by Geoff Mason, Brian Perryman, Jimmy Reynolds, John Shadrack, Kay Wilson and Spider Webb in their absence.
On Saturday afternoon, the ladies were entertained by having the opportunity to have their jewellery cleaned and checked for the security of the stone settings by Ben's son-in-law, Murray, who is a jeweller with Asprey in Bond Street. Murray brought along his jewellery cleaning equipment and found a couple of faulty settings that needed immediate attention. Normally the afternoon sessions last for 1 to 1-1/2 hours, but Murray was busy for 2 hours, such was the success of the afternoon.
It was suggested in the reunion newsletter that pre breakfast use of the swimming pool, jacuzzi, steam room and sauna would be a good idea, but the comfort of the pit was too much for most. Serving ceases at 10.30 hrs, so there is no hurry to go down for the bacon, eggs, sausages, tomatoes, beans, fried bread, etc, etc. \lang2057 After breakfast, it was time for Ben to collect deposits for the next reunion, and he collected just enough to pay the deposit of £325 for the 2010 reunion.
>
51st ENTRY DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY REUNION-21st AUGUST 2005- AT RAF HALTON
“252 boys arrived at Wendover railway station on 21st August 1945, of whom 63 were destined for the
No.1 Radio School at Cranwell. They set off on the long march to No.1 Wing, and as they were
‘marching’ along, looked up and saw a Lockheed P38 Lighting fly overhead, still with its black and
white D-Day stripes.”
This year, 60 years to the very day on 21st August, 51 members of the 51st, including four from the
Cranwell group and Jack Smith, who made the journey over from Perth with his wife Joan, gathered at
the Holiday Inn at Aston Clinton. They were accompanied by 54 wives, sons, daughters and one grandson,
who all came along to see where their husbands, dads and grandad spent their youth. Amongst our number
was Rita Bell, the widow of our first Chairman Dinger Bell, whom we invited along to be our guest for
the weekend, and the Guest of Honour was Chiefy (Roy) Thomas, accompanied by his wife Mary.
Chiefy, now 88, was the ‘C’ Squadron disciplinary Flight Sergeant throughout our time at Halton and
was also defender of ‘his boys’. At the time we may not have relished his ‘watch over us’, but in the
long term his discipline helped mould us into what we are today and we were therefore delighted that
he could join us in our celebrations. Throughout the day we were escorted by Min Larkin, Barrie
Nancarrow and Peter West from the HAAA.
After a wet Friday and dismal Saturday, we were greeted with blue skies on Sunday morning and so it
continued throughout the day. We boarded three coaches outside the hotel, complete with walking sticks,
hearing aids etc, and the first destination was the Apprentice Tribute outside Schools, where Rita Bell
spread Dinger’s ashes on the two newly prepared rose beds to the background of a piped lament played
by Keith Youlden, bandmaster of the Golden Oldies. The spreading of ashes around the Tribute is
becoming a regular occurrence, so the HAAA decided to prepare the rose beds for future ashes, and
Rita was pleased to know that Dinger was their first ‘arrival’.
We then congregated in St George’s Church for a service that included an address by Taff John, about
those far off days of apprentice training. Ken Savage, having liaised with the HAAA over the order
of service, produced an excellent service booklet. The service was conducted by Padre Adrian Gatrill
and the organist was Margaret Evett. Ken read the lesson and we were pleased to see that Pablo
Morrison, who is now wheelchair bound, was in church to share the occasion with us. After the church
service, we formed up and were led by the pipes and drums of the Golden Oldies, with our own
Frank Howard on the mace, the short distance to the Tribute for photographic opportunities.
The coaches then conveyed us to No.1 Wing for lunch in the Airmen’s Mess. (No, we did not march up the
hill - although this was suggested!!) It was originally arranged that we would have lunch in the
Officers Mess, but this was switched to the Airmen’s Mess, with the assurance that the food would be
better. The Airmen’s Mess, outside 15 Block, looks from the front exactly as it did 60 years ago,
but inside it is very different - bright, clean, airy and the cold buffet was excellent, with a wide
range of cold and hot drinks on offer.
After lunch, everyone including wives, sons and daughters, other than those with excused boots and
marching chits, fell in behind the Golden Oldies outside the cookhouse by 15 Block, with Frank Howard
again on the mace. The walking wounded made their way to the Henderson Gym (the Trenchard Museum)
while the ‘parade’ marched along the road to 11 Block, left wheeled onto the square, along past SHQ,
left wheeled again along 2 Wing and marched past the saluting base where Chiefy Thomas took the salute
while the marching contingent gave him a creditable ‘eyes right’.
The march ended at the Trenchard Museum where Ken Savage made a presentation of ex-WO Fred (Boggy)
Marsh’s pace stick, bible and photograph to the museum Curator, Francis Shanford. Boggy was the
No.1 Wing Flight Sergeant when we arrived at Halton in August 1945 and was promoted to WO in
February 1947, taking over from WO Bill Bond. At that time, Bill Bond presented Boggy with a bible,
which will now be an exhibit in the museum. Boggy died in July this year at the ripe old age of 93,
and his son, Tony, presented the items for the museum to Ken at Boggy’s funeral. We lingered for a
while looking at the photographs, workshop test pieces, memorabilia and the locker and kit layouts.
While this was going on, the Golden Oldies were playing outside the open windows and as we left
they played a rather moving “Will ye no come back again?” and “We’re no awa’ tae bide awa’”.
We had already come back again, and on the basis of not being awa’ tae bide awa’, perhaps we should
look forward to another commemoration. Even with the miracles of modern medical science, we don’t
think we’ll manage the centenary - but 70 years on? Who can tell? Maybe the 60th Anniversary of our
Passing Out in 2008?
We then departed for the Officers Mess - Halton House - where our host for the day, Min Larkin, gave
the gathering a brief history of the building and allowed us time to wander around the ground floor
and gardens. A fitting end to our day at the Camp.
It was then back to the hotel, for a quick wash and brush up before John McLaren piped us in to dinner,
and the evening celebrations began.
While the raffle tickets were being sold by the usual team of Jean, Ruth, Esther and Hazel,
Sam and Margaret Bugg were selling the 51st book “Post War Brats At Large”, with both tables doing
a roaring trade. A ‘special’ prize donated by the Pine Lodge Hotel was won by Jack Wetherell.
During the course of the evening, the election of a new Chairman to replace Don Ellis, who sadly died
in July, took place. Ken conducted the election and there was only one nominee, Sam Bugg, who was
proposed by Chris Brill and seconded by Taff John. The vote was unanimous and Sam was elected
Chairman to great acclaim by the gathering.
At the end of the evening, there was one final event when completely to his surprise, Ben Mitchell
was presented with a cheque on behalf of the Entry by Ray Belsham and Ken Savage in appreciation for
all the work he has done in his role as Treasurer, reunion organiser and newsletter editor over
the past 13 years. Jean was presented with a bouquet of flowers for putting up with all the time
that Ben spends on 51st matters! This had been proposed by our late Chairman Don Ellis, who wrote
letters to all the Entry (except Ben), and the presentation was made on Don’s behalf.
This all came as a complete surprise to Ben, who thought he knew exactly what was going on behind
the scenes, but Ray and Ken, and the rest of the Entry, had kept this from him.
So ended a great weekend, with grateful thanks to Min Larkin and his team from the HAAA who helped
with the organisation for the day. Everything went according to plan, the sun shone and nobody
fell by the wayside during the long and tiring day. We said our farewells on Monday morning, with some
meeting up again at Bromsgrove on 8th October for the ‘usual’ annual reunion.
DIAMOND ANNIVERSARY PHOTOGRAPHS
As all members that were on parade on that day will know, many many photographs were taken, and for
the benefit of those who were unable to attend, maybe the Secretary can prevail upon Members who
took photographs to send him prints and from them make up an album which could be displayed at
future reunions.
Five have been already selected and included in the website.
Please click to view