This year our service was held on St Cecilia's day the 22 November and was conducted by the Reverend Canon Andrew Tremlett. Survivors Jack Nealon and George Knott together laid the wreath for the 73rd anniversary of the sinking of HMS BARHAM. As ever our beautiful wreath was made and donated by Patricia Picket assisted by her husband Alan who brought it to the Abbey. Many thanks yet again. Michael Stratton-Brown read the Tennyson poem "Crossing the bar".

We remembered two of our survivors who have died in the last year. David James Stewart, a Boy at the time of the sinking died on 10 August and Ted Betts, an Able Seaman at the time of the sinking died on 10 November. Michael, Ted Betts's son says that his father had been suffering from dementia for sometime but still retained a good intelligence until very end. We have sent flowers to his funeral and a donation to David Stewart's. We believe that there are about eight survivors living.

Over 50 people attended our service some of whom had never before attended. Mrs JP Smith whose brother Leading Seaman HN Reddick was lost in the sinking and whom I mentioned in last year's newsletter managed to attend in a wheel chair she had attended the early services meeting the Captain's widow who organised the first service.