Page 59 - QARANC Vol 14 No 10 2015

Welsh Branch
Chairman: Lt Col (Retd) Marilyn Williams RRC OStJ TD Secretary: Maj (Retd) Rosy Hubbard TD
After a busy first half of 2014, we have continued with some interesting and enjoyable visits.
Elan Valley / Red Kite Centre
A group of 10 of us met on a beautiful sunny day in September to enjoy in the breathtaking views of the Elan Valley, followed by a “Red Kite Experience”.
We were lucky to have booked a Ranger Guided Tour of the valley as, not only did we see the wonderful views from the outside, but we were also shown inside one of the dams.
We were shown old photographs of before and after the building of the dam, and the effect that it had had on the local community – quite an education!
By lunchtime we had worked up a good appetite, and welcomed our meal in the Cafe at the Elan Valley Centre.
We finished lunch just in time to make it for “feeding time” at the Red Kite centre at Rhayader.
This was a truly amazing experience, and a privilege to see how this endangered species of birds had come to trust in the humans who care enough to help them through their troubled times of possible extinction.
A very special Remembrance Day in Talgarth
THE GAZETTE QARANC 57
Wales festival of remembrance
The Wales Festival of Remembrance Concert was held at St David’s Hall Cardiff on 1st November and is an annual event which we always enjoy attending.
This year the concert was held in the presence of HRH the Duke of Kent. The mix of the concert and service was as usual of a high standard. Katherine Jenkins, the star of the show invited the audience to join her in singing popular war songs, which are still much loved. The baritone, group singers and youth choirs were excellent and the choristers of the Hywel Girls’ Choir and Hywel Boy Singers received a standing ovation for their rendering of the Halleluiah Chorus from the Messiah.
The second half of the concert was dedicated to the Act of Remembrance, with the parade of the Association Standards, and military personnel, including members from 203 Field Hospital, and of course two members of the Chelsea Pensioners. What a sight it was, especially as Rosy Hubbard, our secretary, smartly paraded our Standard of the Welsh Branch QARANC Association.
As ever the concert ended with the Act of Remembrance and two minutes silence as poppy petals fell silently from the ceiling in memory of the fallen. Anne Johnson
Table top sale
As part of our Branch fundraising a group of our members set up a stall at the local Farmer’s Market in Talgarth Town Hall. The items for sale included bric-a-brac, glassware, books, jewellery and plants, kindly donated by friends and neighbours. Some of our members had also been busy making QARANC cards, and displayed amongst an array of poppies, these sold really well. On the whole it was an interesting and successful day.
On Sunday 9th November, a sunny but chilly morning, a group of friends representing QARANC, RAMC, and PARAS attended a very moving church service at St. Gwendoline’s Church Talgarth.
Afterwards the congregation led by the Talgarth Powys Cadet Force paraded to the village square where a community service was held, which included reading out the names of the fallen in both world wars, followed by the laying of the wreaths at the memorial. I had the privilege of laying the QARANC Association wreath, which was personally a moving experience. Following the laying of the wreaths there was communal hymn singing, the last post, a two minute silence and the National Anthems. It was quite atmospheric, as the village paid honour to its fallen.
At the conclusion of the Remembrance Service, as part of the centenary commemorations, the gathering was invited to the Town Hall to take part in the unveiling and dedication of the original World War 1 commemorative plaque.
This was a poignant experience for me as I had the privilege and honour to be part of the group who helped to restore
the plaque. To see this being unveiled on its original wooden panel was wonderful.
This was a very special Remembrance Day in Talgarth. For those of us who attended it was an emotional and touching experience that we were all glad to have taken part in.
Following the memorial services we adjourned to Peterstone Court Brecon where all enjoyed a good lunch and
conversation.
Valmai Davies
Remembrance Sunday
Once again the Branch was invited by Col. Neil Smith, the Commanding Officer of 203 Fd Hosp, to join them for their Remembrance Day service at Llandaff Cathedral, Cardiff.
Six retired members, as well as some serving members of the Association attended, and after a very moving service and the laying of wreaths, retired to the Mess to enjoy a very good curry lunch.