Page 124 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2019
P. 124

 122
                                Not a lot has happened in the Stoke Branch this year: though we had a meeting every month except for January, we didn’t have a dinner as we had trouble with the venue. Hopefully this year we will have a fantastic night in October where we’re aim- ing to have 150 seated for the meal.
In May, the Branch visited the National Memorial Arboretum for the 75th anniversary to mark the battle for Monte Cassino. We attended three events at the arboretum including the Polish commemoration which was very moving.
In terms of other events, some of the Branch meet up every two weeks and go for a ramble and then for a coffee or a beer - the group is open to anyone who wishes to join, just contact Malvern Bourne for details. Some of the Branch also enjoyed a night
of Christmas festivities where they all ended up at the end of the night on the dance floor showing their moves. The alcohol numbed any pain, at least until the next morning anyway!
The archives continue to be colllated by Frank Foy. If anyone has anything that they think will be of interest, please contact Frank and we will arrange for it to be archived.
Thankfully we haven’t lost any members this year but we do have less and less people attend the meetings as we all get older. Hopefully, with a lot of effort being put into the Stoke dinner for 2020 which will take place on 31st of October, we will see a lot of you attend the dinner this year. Have a great year and we’ll hopefully see some of you this year.
TC
REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
 17/21L will recall. Also attending was Christopher Marriott for whom Lenny was his first and formative Troop Sergeant. Our collective Veteran Lancer Association expressions of condolenc- es were passed to his family. On a brighter note, members of the troop have gathered for three enjoyable lunch time gatherings at the Union Jack Club.
Our 2019 reunion dinner was again held in the King Charles Hotel Gillingham. It was a pleasure to note a slight increase in attendance which coupled with those regular attendees who un- fortunately had to cry off this year bodes well, I hope, for the future? Once again, the hotel staff looked after us very well and the meal, venue and atmosphere were enjoyed by all. We were especially pleased to welcome 2Lt Nico Ozanne, WO2 (RSWO) Chris Browne and his wife Sally; you were all most welcome and our thanks for making the trek down from Catterick. It was also pleasing to welcome for their first but hopefully not last visit, John and Valerie Smith (12L), Alan and Jill Mason together with Tony Wilson (9/12L), and George Bradford (RM]) and Pa- ter Topley (RCT]) who are both residents of the nearby RBL Village Aylesford.
As ever our RE friends, together with their attached RCT bod, were in fine form and it was great to welcome back Stuart Gar- diner with Heide Blades and their ‘boss’ Richard Smith. Our thanks to you all for coming to join us. Sadly, as I said earlier some stalwarts had to cry off but our thanks go to Graham and Helen Kerridge who, together with Brigadier Arthur Douglas- Nugent, kindly donated their ticket money to troop funds. Our thanks also to Ken Carver for his recent donation.
A final vote of thanks goes to the ladies who sold the raffle tick- ets, we sold out, and also to Blake Martyn-Johns who went way above and beyond whilst selling money tree tickets and sold them, so it seems, to most of the hotel’s guests. My thanks all to all who attended and made the evening such a success.
Our dinner for 2019 will again be held at the King Charles Hotel on Saturday 16th November. As ever all serving or veteran Lanc- ers, of whatever stripe, can be assured of a warm welcome. Come and Join Us!
Stoke Branch (Aliwal Troop)
DB
 Stoke Branch on their fortnightly ramble L to R Mick Fower, Tony Jeffs, Melvin Bourne, Jack Scott, Alan Fradley, Don Mclean


















































































   122   123   124   125   126