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April 2006 Dear member, This years annual reunion dinner, the 50th, will be a CELEBRATION DINNER to be held on Saturday 13th 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). 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 H.M.S. Barham for which a tot of rum will be provided for all male diners and a glass of sherry for each lady. Thanks to Peter Yuells gift the dinner will again be free for survivors, previous crew members and one of their guests. For all members the cost will be £10.00 and for others £32.00. If you wish to attend the dinner would you please complete the attached slip with your preferences and send to Ray Oliver by the 24th April. As we only have seating for 70 people please book early to avoid disappointment. The menu chosen for the dinner this year is a choice of: Galia Melon or Homemade Minestrone Soup Roast Topside of Prime Beef With Yorkshire pudding, horseradish sauce and rich gravy made from the beef juices Or Poached Salmon Steak. A Salmon steak with a white wine, prawn and mushroom sauce Served with roast and minted new potatoes and two seasonal vegetables. Old English Sherry Trifle or Hot Dutch Apple Pie with Custard. Cheese and Biscuits. Coffee and Mints. Wine and Port will be provided on each table. Provision can be made for those who are vegetarian, or those who require a special menu. We intend as usual to have a raffle of donated prizes, all offers welcome. Accommodation may be available at the club; prices for HMS BARHAM members have been negotiated with the Royal Sailors Home Club at a special rate of £28.00 per person. This includes a full English breakfast and use of all club facilities. At the time of arranging the dinner only 14 double/twin rooms were available. The membership number 2170 MUST be quoted at time of booking. We intend as usual to have a raffle of donated prizes, all offers welcome. On the following Sunday 14th May it is hoped that as many as possible will attend The Morning Service in St.Ann's Church, in the dockyard at 10am. On a more serious note we the Association have seen the number of survivors diminish since the last Annual Dinner including our ex Chairman, George Elliot, our Treasurer Sidney Petherbridge, and the following Sandy Powell, George Oliver, Mr.G.Grogan, Mr Cochrane and Mr W.Gidley in Canada. They will be remembered. With the loss of Sidney, the role of treasurer has been taken over by Ray Oliver our current secretary. Mick Tapsell has kindly " VOLUNTEERED" to act as a temporary secretary. One volunteer is worth ten pressed men as the old saying goes. Our Chairman Michael Stratton-Brown and Ray Oliver have with effect of the 25th February become signatories of the Association accounts. The matters will be discussed, voted on and hopefully approved at the Annual General Meeting following the dinner. If any member of the Association has any reason for not approving these appointments or has any other item for discussion would they please state so on the attached voting slip. Our Remembrance and Wreath laying service in Westminster Abbey was held on the 26th November at which some 67 people replied that they would attend. This included 5 survivors. We were directed to sit in the nave until called forward directly into the choir stall for choral evensong. We all listened to some excellent singing by the choir and enjoyed joining in the final hymn "Eternal Father Strong to Save". Canon Robert Wright conducted the Remembrance service at which Mick Tapsell paraded the Association standard. The daughter of Mick Tobin laid the wreath. The service included a prayer for those of the Association who had died in the last year and ended with the poem by Alfred Lord Tennyson "Crossing the Bar". The wreath was again donated by Pat and Alan to whom our deepest thanks are given Also thanks must go to Peter Kempton who each year fights the London traffic in order to deliver the wreath to Westminster Abbey. After the service a few members of the Association retired to the Union Jack Club in Sandell Street, Waterloo, where we were made extremely welcome, it was very enjoyable to meet and socialise with a newfound survivor, Mr Keith Bennett who attended the service with his son. Keith is a close friend of Ted Sibley. I should like to record my thanks for all the letters of appreciation for the Newsletter and all those who write 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 personal letter in reply. Yours sincerely, Michael Stratton-Brown |
last updated: 13 July 2013 |
andrew gillespie