Page 136 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2019
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                                WO2 (AQMS) Roy Jones
County Council, as well as through Shepherd Neame’s sponsor- ship of sports and events. Shepherd Neame traces its foundation to 1698, when Richard Marsh took over an existing brewery in Court Street, Faversham; the widow of Marsh’s son, also called Richard, married Samuel Shepherd, whose descendants ran the business until Percy Neame, a relation by marriage and a hop farmer, joined the partnership in 1864 and in due course became sole ower.
Robert Harry Beale Neame was born on Friday 25 1934, the son of Jasper Neame – chairman of the brewery and Percy’s grand- son – and his wife Violet. Bobby as he was always known, was educated at Harrow, where he was head boy, and did his National Service in Germany as a subaltern in the 17/21L becoming Army rackets champion in 1954. He then embarked on a tour of Eu- ropean and Scandinavian breweries, finishing at Hürlimann in Zurich, and a pupillage at Brickwood’s in Portsmouth, before joining the family firm in 1956. He joined the board the follow- ing year and became marketing director in 1961.
Aware that family brewers were increasingly vulnerable to take- over (he once rejected three bid approaches in a single week), and foreseeing changing drinking tastes, he diversified from traditional ales to introduce a Hürlimann lager in 1968, ahead of much of the competition; lagers, later including the Indian brand Kingfisher brewed under licence, eventually accounted for half the brewery’s output. He also gradually added more pubs, and took advantage of the 1989 Beer Orders which forced the major brewing groups to sell off large numbers of outlets.
Utilising his knowledge of the byways of Kent, Neame was able to purchase most of the pubs he wanted, chiefly from the larger Whitbread, and he expanded Shepherd Neame’s heartland to create a sizeable estate of more than 300 pubs across the South East and in London; they were all encouraged to offer a warm traditional welcome and, as pubs became predominantly places to eat as well as drink, an attractive menu.
When his customers started crossing the Channel to buy cheap booze, Bobby ensured that Shepherd Neame products were available in the hypermarkets of Calais. In 1990 he launched the patriotically marketed Spitfire ale to commemorate the 50th an- niversary of the Battle of Britain and raise money for the RAF Benevolent Fund.
In an instinctively conservative company, not all family mem- bers shared Bobby’s vision or thrived as managers under his au- tocratic leadership: “The best committees are made up of two people, with one permanently absent,” was one of his cheerful aphorisms.
But he appointed first-class executives to modernise production and spearhead the brewery’s marketing, and his strategy was largely vindicated as many other regional brewers were swal- lowed by conglomerates. After retiring from the chair he was president of the company; his eldest son Jonathan is now its chief executive.
Bobby Neame served as Conservative county councillor for Faversham from 1965 to 1989 and chaired the British section of the International Union of Local Authorities. As leader of Kent council from 1982 to 1984, he found himself in confrontation with the Nalgo union over pay – and was burned in effigy at a rally in Maidstone.
Among many other roles, Neame was chairman of the South- East Tourist Board from 1979 to 1990 and chairman of Folke- stone Racecourse from 1988 to 1999. He was a regional director of National Westminster Bank and Royal Insurance, a deputy lieutenant of Kent and High Sheriff in 2001. He was appointed CBE in 1999.
Roy was a very active supporter of the Regimental Association’s Fondouk Branch. Roy started his military career as a Tpr in the 17/21L and being an instructor in all of the skills, D&M, Gun- nery and Signals, it was not surprising that his commanding of- ficer was reluctant to allow a sergeant of Roy’s calibre to re-badge to become a REME artificer, and only agreed the change on the provision he would be returned to the Regiment. Eighteen months later SSgt Jones re-joined the Regiment as C Squadron’s Fitters Troop Leader. The troop was formed during the Regi- ment’s stay at the transit camp at Piddlehinton and the four- week voyage on the Oxfordshire. Once they had arrived in Sek Kong Barracks they became an operational Fitter’s Troop. Both in the Far East or BOAR, Roy Jones led the troop. Even when he had been promoted to AQMS and moved to HQ Squadron he still looked-out for the fitters of his troop.
WO2 (AQMS) Roy Jones, until we meet again in the great ar- moured vehicle workshop of the Senior Squadron, goodbye.
Sam Knowles
MW
On a cold and dreary day at Stockport Crematorium 22 Old Comrades of the Scarlet Lancers and their wives, joined with family and friends at the funeral of one of our oldest veterans, 97 years old Sam Knowles, who was remembered alongside his wife Hazel. Sam fought in Italy during World War 2 and wrote a moving account of his experiences in the book Soldier On. Also present was John Gudgeon, a contemporary of Sam’s throughout the war, and the only Scarlet
REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN)
  il and Walters.
On the 25 May 2019, after some years of ill-health, Roy died at his home in Bramhope in Yorkshire. He was cremat- ed at Lawnswood Crematorium on the 21 June. The greater part of the congre- gation was of Roy’s family, most of whom had made the long journey from Wales. The attendance of the Regiment was small because in the main Roy had outlived all of his peers. In attendance were Sheila and Mat Lee, Malcolm Sco- thern, Harry Wrack and Mick’s Wether-
 Lancer in attendance who actually served with and knew Sam. Mirek Varadinek and Charlie Radford presented a wreath on be- half of the SLOBS (Scarlet Lancers Old Boys) and Frankie Foy provided the regimental coffin drape.
PAW
Robert Neame CBE DL
Neame, who has died aged 85, was chair- man of the Kent-based brewer Shepherd Neame during a period of radical change in the beer industry and pub trade.
Neame achieved steady growth in his family business against a background of evolving leisure and drinking habits as well as new legislation affecting the ownership of pubs; the company sub- stantially enlarged its estate and multi- plied its profits during his chairmanship
from 1971 to 2005. In addition to running the brewery business, he was a tireless promoter of the “Hop County” in his capacity as chairman of the South-East Tourist Board and leader of Kent
 









































































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