Page 197 - Rifles 2017 Issue No 3

Fifty Nine-Ninety Four Club
(A Duke of Edinburgh’s Royal Regiment Of cers’ Club)
The unexpected closure of the Ri es Of cers’ London Club in late 2016 due to a kitchen problem required some swift negotiation to identify a venue for the rst of the 59-94 Club’s two lunches planned for 2017. The hope at the time was that we could return to Davies Street again for the second in June.
The choice eventually was the Army and Navy Club in Pall Mall, an old friend of the 59-94 as it was at the ‘Rag’ that the rst of our reunions after the 1994 amalgamation, and the demise of DERR, was held in March 1995. On 27 January 13 of cers gathered, a rather smaller number than usual, though there were many messages from those unable to be present, including the R Berks/Wilts elders regretting their absence but looking forward (dv) to meeting at the RGBW Of cers’ Club Annual Wardrobe Lunch in the summer.
Lunching were: John Biggs, Simon Cook, Terry Daly, Paul Flavell, Jeremy Lillies, John Marsh, Gordon Muir, John Rylands, David Stone, Jim Tanner, Alister Turtle, Nigel Walker and Adam Westlake.
At the end of lunch a glass was raised to the memory of Phillip King & Rod Hicks, both of whom had died earlier that month.
As it became clear that the Ri es Of cers’ London Club would have to operate in a very different way in the remaining months before the TA Centre closed for good, the decision had to be taken to bid a fond farewell to Davies Street after 17 lunches in 8 years, and seek pastures new. It was decided to try something quite different and use a private room in
a pub known to a member of the 59-94 Committee. Accordingly, on 2nd June we gathered at The Antelope in Eaton Terrace SW1, just northeast of Sloane Square. Another return to a familiar area as we had used the Duke of York’s HQ Mess in Chelsea for 2 years at the beginning of this century. A total of 17 of cers attended including Chris Higgs who was over from the US, enabling he and his brother, Robin, to be present at a 59-94 do together for the rst time, and Fred Chedham who was on a business trip from Norway. George Grif n’s intention to join us was thwarted overnight by a Turkish Airlines failure to extract him on time from his job in a Middle Eastern sandpit. The announcement in the calling letter that this being a pub not a Mess or Club a ‘relaxed dress code’ was permitted was universally welcomed, but Sandhurst standards are etched deeply it seems as everybody turned up with a tie anyway. All declared the venue thoroughly acceptable – so much so that
it has been booked for 2018
Lunching were: Simon Cook, Terry Daly, Farren
Drury, Jo Edmonds, Andy Fontana, Chris Higgs, Robin Higgs, Chris Knights, John Marsh, David Proctor, John Rylands, Jim Tanner, Alister Turtle, Richard Vaughan-Payne, Russ Wardle and Adam Westlake, with Fred Chedham joining after lunch.
In 2018 the winter lunch is scheduled for Friday 23 February, not the last Friday in January as has been the case in recent years. In another trial, it will be held for the rst time in the DERR Room at The Wardrobe. The summer lunch will be on Friday 01 June at The Antelope.
TMAD
The Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire & Wiltshire Regiment Of cers’ Club Lunch
Saturday 1st July
Fine weather, excellent food, good company, all contributed to a most enjoyable annual Lunch in The Wardrobe garden in Salisbury on Saturday 1st July. The experimental “canapé” starter course with drinks before sitting down seemed to meet with general approval. We were delighted to welcome General Sir Kevin & Lady O’Donoghue , Maj Gen Derek & Daphne Crabtree, and Maj Gen Nick & Charlie Welch on this occasion, together with Lt Col Mike & Bente Motum, Ri es, County Secretary for Somerset, Bristol & Gloucestershire.
Maureen Lawrie, Martin & Diana Lee-Browne, Charlie Maconochie, Denis and Jinnie Moriarty with Philippa Gray & Rosemary Pitcaithly, Doug Mortimer, Peter and Jackie Mullings, Tim O’Hare, John and Betty Peters, David and Anya Proctor, Andrew and Val Ravenhill, Desmond Redding, Fleur Robbins, Pauline Rose, Bill & Jill Sherman, John and Eileen Silvester, Chris Skidmore, Chris and Margaret Smallbone, Ian and Rosemary Spence, Jeremy and Charlie Tozer, Colin Tremellen, Richard and Veronica Vaughan-Payne, John & Rita Venus, Mike and Liz Vernon-Powell, Jonathan and Nicki Vernon-Powell, Philippa Vernon-Powell, Nigel Walker, Russ and Jane Wardle, and Robin & Jane Wilson.
A total of 97 sat down to lunch, and thanks are due to Nigel Walker for coordinating this event, not to mention his skill in making the wooden containers for the owers on each table.
Next year the Lunch will be held on Saturday 7th July 2018 – it would be great if we could lower the average age of those attending – what about some of the of cers commissioned into RGBW – former Glosters and DERR of cers very much hope to see you there.
Others attending and catching up on bygone
years included Cilla Bennett, John and Valerie
Biggs, Steven & Allyson Bowkett, Jenny
Burgess, Richard Butt and Helen Shayle, Simon
Cook, Michael Cornwell, Andy Crocker, Mike
and Rachel Curtis, Terry Daly, James & Imogen
Dessain, Farron and Bonnie Drury, Piers Dunn
and Renée Eade, Jo and Monica Edmonds, John
and Pat Ellis, Dick Foster and Veronica Wilson,
Barney and Sarah Haugh, Rob Hiles, Basil and
Molly Hobbs, Eric and Ann Hobday, Andrew
& Amanda Jarrold, Sue Kenway, Jan King, Ian
Knight, Graham and Gillian Law, Peter and IGS
THE RIFLES
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OFFICERS’CLUBS