Page 26 - The Gazette Autumn 2024

26 The Gazette QARANC Association
WEST COUNTRY BRANCH
Tea and cake to
celebrate 55 years!
The West Country branch has continued to maintain links of friendship across the counties this year.
Our AGM, lunches, and an afternoon tea have all provided opportunities for members to meet up and enjoy themselves during the year.
We have welcomed new members to functions, tried a new venue for a Corps Day lunch (thank you to Devon members for the recommendation), and enjoyed visiting and talking with members unable to travel to functions.
In June, some members joined the local RAMC Association for their annual lunch in that most beautiful of settings, Buckfast Abbey, on the edge of Dartmoor. The invitation to join members of the RAMC Association was appreciated and will be reciprocated; it is envisaged that this will lead to closer collaboration between the branches in the future.
The afternoon tea in early July was a belated celebration of 55 years as the West Country branch, held in the hotel where we celebrated the 45th anniversary, and was a lovely afternoon spent with current members, partners, friends, and members of other branches of the QARANC Association.
We are looking forward to the CO 243 MMR spending some time with us in October to update us on the role of ‘243.’ This is our local unit, and an understanding of its current role will be enlightening for those of us who have been retired from the Army for many a year!
On a sombre note, in June we heard of the unexpected death of a much admired and respected member of the branch, Carolyn Smith. Carolyn served in the Corps during the 1970s and since then a long-standing member of the QARANC Association. Her support for the branch has been outstanding and she is missed by all of us who knew her.
WALES BRANCH
‘We heard a
cuckoo calling
loud and clear’
Wales Branch has enjoyed a variety of interesting outings during the year so far, including the Henry Vaughan Walk and visiting Eastnor Castle.
Despite the wet winter and spring, the branch continued to provide welfare services contacting and to visit members. Then, on a sunny day in May, members and family gathered for a delightful walk along the Henry Vaughan trail from Talybont-on-Usk to Talybont reservoir and back.
The trail, rich with meadows hedgerows and riverside views commemorates Henry Vaughan who was born near Talybont-on-Usk. He trained as a 17th Century doctor and dedicated over 40 years to practicing in the area, using local plants as the basis for his prescriptions. A keen observer of nature’s beauty, he was celebrated as a Welsh metaphysical poet and drew inspiration for his religious poems from the natural beauty of his surroundings.
Our walk began with a crossing of the swing bridge over the Monmouthshire and Brecon canal. We reached a field bordered by the River Caerfanell and accessed via an old stone stile. As we walked in the sunshine it was so quiet and there was the lovely sound of the river flowing over rocks as it meandered along.
After crossing the river we reached the Brinore tramroad, a cobbled trail built in 1815. This historic path was once used to transport limestone from Trefil Quarry to the Rhymney valley ironworks, and subsequently iron and coal to canal wharf in Talybont, before continuing onwards to Brecon.
We encountered waymarkers inscribed with words by Henry Vaughan. One read: “Here fountains flow, Birds sing, beasts feed, fish leap and th’ earth stands fast.” These words were strikingly evocative of the