Page 36 - QARANC Vol 14 No 13 2016

Jurassic Coast Branch Report
On 3 Apr 2016 19 Retired QAs and their partners attended the Jurassic Coast Branch Corps Day which was held at St Lawrence Church, Upwey, Dorset. Our special guest for the day was 104-year-old QA Mary Gardner. After an enjoyable service with refreshments, we had lunch at the Wishing Well in Upwey.
On 21 May 2016 14 QAs met at The Montagu Arms in Beaulieu for coffee and biscuits before visiting Exbury Gardens. It was raining at the start of the day but fortunately it stopped for a while. Walking around Exbury Gardens at that
time of year meant there were azaleas and rhododendrons in abundance in the most amazing colours. Most people stopped for lunch in the gardens cafeteria. It was a wonderful day, which everybody enjoyed.
Forthcoming events:
Visit to the Bombay Sapphire Gin Factory on 24 Sep. AGM and luncheon on 29 Oct at Didsbury Golf Club Patsy May
Maj(Retd)
Jurassic Coast Branch
34 QARANC THE GAZETTE
Welsh Branch
Chairman: Lt Col (Retd) Marilyn Williams RRC OStJ TD Secretary: Maj (Retd) Rosy Hubbard TD
AGM
This year, a number of members met, as usual, at 203 Field Hospital (Fd Hosp) for our AGM.
Following the official business we had a very good talk by Phil Davies, Secretary of the South Wales Branch of the Western Front Association. This was really interesting and informative, especially for those of us attending the forthcoming tour to celebrate the Centenary of the Battle of Mametz Wood.
As Phil was the official organiser of the Centenary Celebrations, he gave us an excellent and poignant presentation of the events leading up to, and the Battle of Mametz Wood itself, and thus we had first hand, accurate details of the events that took place, where so many of our Welsh boys died in WW1.
We rounded up the morning’s events with a curry lunch in the Mess.
Welsh Branch AGM - Guest Speaker Phil Davies
Corps Day
The Welsh Branch, in association with 203 Fd Hosp, has the daunting task this year of hosting the National Corps Day in Cardiff. After a lot of hard work on the part of many it turned out to be a really successful event and a reunion of friends far & near – see separate article.
QARANC Association Annual
General Meeting and Reunion
The Annual Reunion and lunch
was held on Saturday 7 May 2016
at the Union Jack Club, Waterloo
London and was well attended.
Members were given an update
of the accounts and the present
situation in the Corps. This was Col
Karen Irvine’s first meeting as Chief
Nurse and she was able to state the
present situation of administration in
the Corps. After the meeting there
was a very good lunch followed by
cake from the National Corps Day,
which was this year held in Cardiff. Award
Col Irvine presented a few members with gifts for their service to the Corps, and Marilyn Williams was presented with the DANS Award for her contribution to the Association. As usual it was a joyful occasion meeting up with old friends and making new ones.
Chairman’s Special Birthday Tea
In May a few members gathered together, in the sunshine, in my garden to celebrate the very special birthday of our lovely Chairman, Marilyn. We enjoyed a wonderful selection of scrumptious cakes made expertly by Marilyn’s sister, Margaret, accompanied of course by a few glasses of Pimms.
Welsh Branch - Marilyn Williams Receiving The Dans