Dear member,

This years reunion dinner , the 47th will be on Saturday 17th May in the Royal Sailors Home Club , Queens Street , Portsmouth . It will again be held in the Nuffield Lounge (on the right of the main foyer) Our country membership is 2170.

As usual the time will be 1730 for 1800.

Alternative accommodation may be available at the Portsmouth Foyer , telephone 023-9236-001 for £ 18.50 per night. Prices for the Royal Sailors Home Club are at present £ 31.75 per person.

The menu the committee have chosen for our dinner is :

Home-made Tomato Soup

Poached Salmon Steak with minted new potatoes, peppered courgettes and buttered sweetcorn

Profiteroles

Cheese and Biscuits

Coffee and Mints

Provision can be made for those who are vegetarians , or who require a special menu. A glass of wine will be served during the dinner and further wines may be purchased from the waitresses.The dinner will be preceded by a minutes silence in memory of those who cannot be with us , this will be followed by a toast to BARHAM for which a tot of rum will be provided for each male diner and a glass of sherry for each lady.

Thanks to Peter Yuiles gift the dinner will again be free for survivors , previous crew members and one of their guests, for all other members and one guest the cost will be £ 5. each, and for others £ 23.50. If you wish to attend please will you complete the attached slip by the 26th April and send it to Sidney Petherbridge. Late applications may be refused . We intend as usual to have a raffle of donated prizes, offers welcomed.

The dinner will be followed by our Annual General Meeting when there will be an opportunity to raise items on the management of your association or volunteer to join the committee.

On Sunday 18th May after the dinner it is hoped that as many as possible will attend the morning service in St. Ann's Church in the Dockyard at 1000.

Our remembrance and wreath laying service in Westminster Abbey was held on the 23rd November to which 90 replied that they would attend. This included 5 survivors and three others who had served in the ship before the sinking We were directed to sit in the nave until called forward directly into the choir stalls for the choral evensong. We listened to some superlative singing by the choir and enjoyed joining in the final hymn" Eternal Father strong to save…". The remembrance service was conducted by the Canon Tom Wright and the Association Standard was paraded by Keith Miller, George Elliott`s son-in-law. Our wreath was laid by Ron Humm whose father was killed in the sinking. The service included a prayer for those of the Association who had died in the last year and ended with Crossing the Bar by Alfred Lord Tennison. The wreath which included red and white carnations with white gypsophila had been beautifully prepared and donated by "Flowers by Patricia " of Morden, Surrey. The book of remembrance was open for inspection after the service.

We have heard of another survivor through the website; Gordon. H. Newell (Jimmy) was an Ordinary Seaman at the time. Sadly we have also heard that he died in November 2002.

Following the publication of last September's new letter I have sadly been informed of the following deaths: Les Booker an RNA Standard bearer who advised on drill and supported the Association . Ted Sibley has informed me that Joan, Stan Reads wife had died in August, they live at Wagga Wagga. May O`Day the widow of Warrant Supply Officer Sinclair. W. Lowes died in January. She had regularly attended our Westminster Abbey service. Her son Tony Lowes has now become a member. Anne Goodger has informed me that her husband Irvine died in January. He was a survivor who was Known as Marine Pressland at the time and regularly used to attend our reunion dinners. A request for details of our Association has been received from Mr and Mrs Baxter of Kings Lynn Norfolk whose uncle was the ships chaplain.

We have received information that the grandson of Surgeon Commander E.R.Sorley made a promise to his grandmother that he would sail out to HMS BARHAM as a personal vigil to the Grandfather he never knew . This voyage will commence on the 9th June. James, the skipper of the boat, has asked whether a wreath could be laid on behalf of the survivors and Association, your committee have made provision for the purchase of a wreath which we will ask the Chaplain of St Ann's Church to bless during the service on the 18th May. A copy of the HMS BARHAM Memorial Voyage which we received is attached for all to see and remember.

We have been very fortunate to have Sara Wrigley join the committee, Sara as many of you know runs the HMS BARHAM web site and is always looking for information regarding the crew and ship. (website www.watersideweb.co.uk/Barham/new or email at info@watersideweb.co.uk)

I would like to record my thanks for all the letters of appreciation for the newsletters and all those who have written to me to keep me up to date with their affairs or sent me cards.

I would like to end by thanking all those who have made donations including postage stamps particularly as small contributions although welcome may have not received a personal letter in reply.

Yours sincerely

Michael Stratton-Brown