Page 85 - Mercian Eagle 2013

the 36 Bends and I believe they did this a few times over before the group went their separate ways. Brian Leek and Marcus Humphrey stayed in the Harz for another day. Cpl Palmer and his wife Clare went back to Hohne camp before going home
on leave and the reminder returned back
to Fallingbostel camp. As for Nige Taylor and Matt Harley they returned back to our camp only to collect their van then to do the Calais rally back to the Midlands.
Over all, it was an outstanding weekend and one that needs to be experienced by anyone who owns a bike. Everyone got on like a house on fire and everyone stayed together on the roads.
There’s hope for a repeat performance
in 2014, so if you have a bike regardless of how experienced you are, by all means get in touch and come along. All riders are more than welcome to join the club. You won’t be disappointed.
Officers’ Mess Notes
Whilst it is not yet a tradition for the Officers’ Mess to be handed over in haste, it is certainly getting that way. Whilst still in BATUS, Steve Burton told me he was off post haste, that the “groundwork” for the Christmas Party had been done and that
I was going to have to take over. All fine; a capable Entertainments member was in place and nothing could go wrong...
As it happens, little did, despite the usual rushing around the week before. The party appeared to go well, carols were sung around the table, the CO got his fireworks, and everyone drank too much. Strangely, everyone included
direction on gold-leafing, and an influx of new blood. The mess layout had been reorganised during BATUS by a tiger team personally chosen by the CO and with relevant advice (colour, style, material, what actually looks good) from an able support staff of Heidi Davies, Angharad Rees-Williams and Elena Major, to whom we are very grateful. Furniture which had languished in side rooms was exposed, silver which had been hidden away was brought out and the place generally took on a more impressive air. The social side was reinvigorated as well – the Families
the breach and organised a very creditable event on a Carnival theme; several livers-in (Freddie Priggs prominent amongst them) were disappointed that this didn’t have anything to do with either carnality or meat! In the absence of the CO, 2IC, four OCs, Ops and IO, the night went well; it has been suggested that the night went well because of the absence of the above!
At the time of writing, we are about to see off A Company to HERRICK 19; two whining emails from OC and 2IC A about missing the party in September were met with the response of “why do you think it’s called the Good Riddance to A Company Party?”. Ned Kelly showed his usual grace under fire...
As always many have joined and a
few have left. The Adjutant continued
a worrying BHQ trend of jumping ship
to HMS Redundancy and, rather more disappointingly, took Veronica, Florence and Sebastian with him; his protestations of not being a house husband were believed by none! Chris and Kerry Groves (Foskett) moved to Warminster to train AI Pl Comds, Steve Burton went to CAST (N) and we
ran through a series of RAO staff – three RAOs and two Det Comds in a year! More subalterns than I care to mention have arrived, along with Company IOs, Plans Officers, medics in abundance and padres. Worthy of special mention are Joe Mairara the (Fijian) Padre, who claims he doesn’t play rugby in the Army because “you can’t tackle the white boys hard and I forget...” and Andy Dickinson the Doctor who wears Major’s rank, gets paid more than the GOC and drives a car which, in days of yore would have been ceremonially torched! Value added of the highest order in both cases and we are lucky to have them.
Steve, who somehow hadn’t actually posted by the party despite loud protestations two months earlier that he couldn’t run it...odd...
All fine; a capable Entertainments member was in place and nothing could go wrong...
Wednesdays known colloquially as the Chimps’ Tea Party continued, but were joined by Sunday Lunches and, as we tried to find a German summer, barbecues. We held a full Ladies’ Dinner Night which ran to seven courses
We were lucky
enough to host the
Colonel of the Regiment
for Ferozeshah and had
a splendid time at an informal dinner for him to meet the massive new influx of officers. He was on good form and as the first user of the re-vamped VIP room; his cartoon in the visitors’ book may well remain unique! The day after Ferozeshah saw the Sgts’ Mess arrive; the detail is covered in the Ferozeshah notes, but it was a very good night which will leave scars on many for years, in both messes. It is worth repeating the horror shown by the RCWO when some food was borrowed from the fridges (cake, mostly...) and the CO’s continued paranoia about being billed for the cheese on toast he cooked...
The New Year saw a chance to reset and reorganise in line with the CO’s clear
and nearly killed Sgt Nash the Chef; his own fault for trying to show off in our view, and we celebrated the actions of 2nd North Staffords at Anzio Day by hosting the 7 Brigade Staff. A first class talk on the battle was delivered with due style by Tom Lambert who had spent literally minutes on research until the day – and then realised who was attending...
As MST kicked in, Recces and exercises began and the battalion started to spread, and we continued to plan a Summer Ball. However, 7 Brigade and PJHQ clearly felt we’d had too much fun and moved the D-3 recce date a day to the left which meant that most of the top end of the Battalion couldn’t go. Martyn Fulford stepped into
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