Page 103 - MERCIAN Eagle 2019

Cheshire Regimental Association
After the frenzy of 2018, the past year has been quite quiet by comparison. We held the Annual General Meeting, as we always do, on the Saturday nearest Meeanee Day and this was followed later by a Dinner Dance at The Mill Hotel in Chester, organised by Joe Murphy. Over 100 members and partners enjoyed a superb meal, a display of traditional Military Drumming given by the Corps of Drum of Cheshire Police and rounded off by a couple of hours of lively dancing.
Southern Region Branch held a dinner to celebrate their 20th anniversary as a branch on Saturday 9th March in the Union Jack Club in London, thanks to financial support from CRA member Pete Hughes and Axis International. Many members and guests had travelled long distances to attend and there were many comments on how enjoyable the meal and entertainment were. During the evening a raffle was held which raised the amazing
sum of £1,100 in aid of Not Forgotten Association. In his speech, Brigadier Tony Twiss, our president, singled out members of the branch committee who had made the evening possible, particularly Trevor and Lynne Taylor. He also recognised the work of the other committee members. He then invited CRA Chairman Peter Gresty to make presentations of the General Peter Martin Award, given for outstanding service by an individual to their Branch, to John Ferns, Branch Treasurer, and also to Lynne Taylor for her work over many years on the committee. He then sprung a surprise on Brigadier Twiss by giving him the same award. He had been nominated secretly by the committee for his outstanding
of the Cheshire Regiment who fought so valiantly at the Battle of Mons in 1914. The people of the local community never forget and on the Sunday nearest to 24th August, there are ceremonies in the War Graves section of the village cemetery and at the memorial on the battlefield which was opened in 2014 with the participation of
1 MERCIAN, an event still being talked about by the locals. He was joined this year by Capt Lawrence Dunning and they laid wreaths in both locations.
The Annual East Cheshire Reunion was held on the last Saturday of October, the first under the new management of Lt Col Tony Angel and his team from Stockport Branch. This was the 72nd Reunion and following tradition, the evening began with a march on of the standard, carried out by Derek Sykes in exemplary manner. A wreath was then laid for our fallen comrades, before pages of the Book of Remembrance were turned by members of the CRA. The names of those members who had passed away since the last reunion, were then read out by Peter Gresty, Chairman of the CRA. The formal
part of the evening was completed by the sounding of “Last Post” and “Reveille” by the Eccles Borough Band. We then worked up
an appetite by singing “Abide with Me”. The numbers are dwindling year upon year, but the evening was still well supported and it was pleasing to see so many members of 4 MERCIAN joining in. The traditional hot-pot was of good quality and quantity, evidenced
by the large number of second helpings, with a good selection of
commitment to the Branch over its 20 years. The annual Race Day gathering took place in early May where nearly 300 members gathered at Cheshire Military Museum and the CRA Club
to enjoy an afternoon of meeting old friends and sharing banter and yarns. As usual, many lamps were swung and there were probably lots of sore heads next morning...
many lamps were swung and there were probably lots of sore heads next morning...
cheese and biscuits to follow, all washed down with copious amounts of ale. Once again, Major General Keith Skempton CBE took on the duties of the Presiding Officer.
Remembrance began as usual with the Field of Remembrance in the grounds of Westminster Abbey in London. The Duke of Sussex and in
a small break from tradition, accompanied by the Duchess, visited all the plots. The Cheshire
Another firm fixture in the Association calendar is the Malaya and Singapore Reunion organised by Walsall Branch in June every year. Old Malaya hands travel from far and wide for a good fish and chip supper with some great entertainment and this year was no different, thanks to the organisational skills of Joe Sadler and his team.
Armed Forces Day saw CRA members out and about at events in Ellesmere Port, the Tom Sephton Memorial Rugby tournament in Warrington and Stockport Branch held a Dinner Dance at The Armoury ARC.
Sadly, our Ellesmere Port Branch disbanded in 2018, but their annual memorial events held at the National Waterways Museum and Whitby Park were taken over by South Wirral Branch who, joined by members of other Branches in Birkenhead and Halton, held two short services in both locations.
In August, CRA Secretary Major Eddie Pickering made his annual pilgrimage to the village of Audregnies to remember those soldiers
Cenotaph 19 (The CRA Marching contingent waiting to fall in on Horse Guards Parade, Remembrance Sunday 2019)
Regiment Plot was presented by Brigadier WKL Prosser CBE MC. Supporting him were Brigadier Tony Twiss, Col Bob Stewart DSO, Major Tim Park QGM, Jill Park, Peter Kearnes, Trevor Taylor, George Szwejkowski, Lynne Szwejkowski, Gary Woodruff and Julian Stott.
On Remembrance Sunday, 21 members formed up on Horse Guards Parade in order to represent the Cheshire Regiment Association. It was a fairly bright, though cloudy day, but mercifully no hint of rain. The occasional stamping of feet indicated that the temperature was very much seasonal. When proceedings got under way we followed events on the giant screen. Last Post, The Silence and Reveille were all scrupulously observed and when the great and the good laid their wreaths, we veterans stepped off for the March Past. Paying our respects and laying our wreath at the Cenotaph is our main aim, but it never ceases to give a warm feeling when the music from the Massed Bands fades in the distance and is replaced by the cheers and clapping of spectators lining the route.
ECR 19 1 (East Cheshire Reunion, The Armoury, Stockport, 26th October 2019)
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