Page 114 - MERCIAN Eagle 2021

Dudley Branch
Keith Jeavons
The Branch is now holding its regular monthly meetings once again and numbers attending are holding steady. In October, the Branch held a lunch for the Ladies at the ‘Lodge’ Wellington Road, Dudley as our first social event
for some time. The Branch was represented by the Chairman, Mr Brian Lee at the commemoration Service for Gheluvelt at Worcester on Sunday 24th October. And in November, the Branch attended, along with parading its Standard, a Remembrance Day event and the Remembrance Sunday local commemorations.
Long Eaton & West Notts Branch
Mark Dack
Long Eaton and West Notts Branch attended the unveiling of a plaque to mark the centenary of Kimberley War Memorial and a rededication service. The plaque was unveiled by the Mayor
of Broxtowe and the MP, was also
in attendance as was the Chair of Kimberley Town Council who praised the attending veterans for their high standard of bugling and Standard Bearing
Newark Branch
Paul Hallett
Newark-on-Trent Branch held its
first meeting following the COVID Lockdowns, on Armistice Day Thursday 11th November 2021 at Newark RAFA Club. Nine Members and Associate Members attended. We remembered the fallen and those we have lost and offered support to our members suffering from illness. Two of our members, Veronica and Mick Anderson shared photos sent from their son who lives in Norway and has attended a local annual Norwegian Pilgrimage to the graves of the fallen which included the 8th Bn.
Rugeley Branch
Sadly. Mr Peter Cotterell, the Chairman of the Rugeley Branch died in early November 2021. Peter has been a staunch member of the Rugeley Branch. Unfortunately, due to falling numbers the Rugeley Branch is likely to be disbanded and its Standard to be placed in Rugeley Church in the 2022.
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Mansfield Branch
Keith Kenworthy
September 2021 saw Mansfield Branch drag itself from the cloying pandemic
slime to hold its first meeting since March 2020. A magnificent total of four members appeared for this momentous occasion; at least we had a quorum. The agenda was very limited, so the meeting was very short (the very best meetings always are) and was followed by an animated discussion on a variety of topics. Thankfully there were no reports of any of the absentees joining the permanently absent list.
October saw a fifty per cent increase in attendance – a whole six of us; we almost filled a long table! Our only visible activity taking place during the Remembrance period was our usual Armistice Day ceremony at the Carr Bank Park Memorial. This draws a number of families of past members, together with a group of local people who attend every year.
The mayor laid a wreath on our memorial after attending the Royal British Legion ceremony at the Old Town memorial which is close by. There is a local shortage of ministers in Mansfield, and we overcame that by the Secretary enlisting the services of a Methodist Lay Reader, Helen Curzon, to officiate on Armistice Day. She was briefed to conduct a ‘soldiers’ service’ – i.e., short, she did so admirably!
The Sherwood Foresters Officers’ Club (SFOC)
Lt Col (Retd) Roger Stockton OBE
The SFOC met for a delayed Badajoz Lunch on 24th September 2021 at The White Hart Hotel in Salisbury. A total of 28 officers and wives attended the lunch with Lt Col Stockton presiding. In his address, he highlighted that diminishing numbers affected the viability of lunches though everyone was keen to meet for a delayed Alma Day Lunch in December and a further Badajoz Day Lunch in the Army and Navy Club in London in April 2022. There were Toasts to Her Majesty the Queen, The Regiment and Absent Friends and a Loyal Message to HM The Queen and her gracious reply were read out.
THE MERCIAN EAGLE