Page 43 - QARANC Vol 14 No 6 2013

The Jurassic Coast Branch
Chairman: Lt Col M Bandy Secretary: Mrs P McKay
On September 15th 2012 eleven members plus two husbands all met up at Victoria Station before walking to Buckingham Palace where we spent a lovely day viewing the Queen’s diamonds and a walk through the state rooms using an audio guide.
The tour around the Palace was well organised and well worth it, and afternoon tea in a marquee in the Palace grounds was lovely. We were fortunate to have glorious weather on our side. There was a huge marque in the grounds selling good quality gifts where several of the group took the opportunity to spend money.
Our up and coming events include the branch AGM followed by a guest speaker and lunch at Winchester on 2nd February.
Corps Day will be celebrated on 23rd March at St Osmunds Church in Osmington just outside Weymouth.
There is an organised trip to the AMS Museum at Keogh Barracks on Wednesday 19th June.
Major (Retd) Patsy May
THE GAZETTE QARANC 41
Newcastle Branch
Chairman: Lt Col Anne Clouston Secretary: Mrs Lyndsey Staerk
The strength and bonding of the Newcastle Branch deepens as we continue to mix business with pleasure in conjunction with our local RAMC association.
In September 2012 both the QARANC and RAMC Associations had a fantastic, educational day trip out to our local’ Victoria Tunnel’. The tunnel was constructed and built by 1842 as a waggonway to transport coal from our local mines to the locally Tyne River for exportation.
Sadly its use of a coal transport Waggonway was to have a short life span due to financial costing’s and closed down in the late 1800’s.
It was later re-opened and converted to an Air Raid shelter in the 1900’s. The tunnel is two miles in length, approximately seven feet high and six wide with an arched roof, the depth underground at its deepest point is eighty five feet.
The tour was extremely spooky and somewhat claustrophobic in the dark and not to be recommended for faint-hearted people. With head torches and hard hats we were able to view the screw holes in the concrete floor where bunk beds once stood and it was hard to comprehend that this tunnel had once held up to nine hundred people per air raid.
Overall it was an excellent (but cold) visit to ‘times gone by’ but it was pleasant to get warmed up with the local
Victoria Tunnel 19/9/12
home cooked food and real ale in the local pub!
At the end of our September meeting one of our QARANC members, Monica Cahart-Harris delivered the most fantastic, entertaining and enlightening speech about her experiences as a nurse during World War 2. She elaborated on the stories she sent home making us giggle when she informed them that she had safely arrived in Germany. Her lodgings were a room with only three beds in it with each one housing a chamberpot underneath it, just a shame she wrote home saying she had slept in a
room with two others with a ‘Gerry’ under the bed!
In November we had our annual Christmas dinner at the Britannia Hotel. As predicted it was superb entertainment (into the early hours), wonderful food and excellent
company.
We welcome more friendship, fun, excitement and
entertainment in 2013.