Page 101 - The Royal Lancers Chapka 2017

REGIMENTAL JOURNAL OF THE ROYAL LANCERS (QUEEN ELIZABETHS’ OWN) 99
Wessex Reunion Lunch
The Wessex Reunion lunch was held for the second time at the Ocean Rooms in the Weymouth Pavilion, on a typically beau- tiful sunny Weymouth spring day on Saturday 8th April 2017. The event, as always, was organised by Mrs Liz Draper and ably assisted by her very good friend Di Ludlow. There were eight- een diners for lunch, with Brigadiers Pye and Mackaness, and Colonel and Mrs Charrington, along with Colonel and Mrs Red- head being amongst the guests. As always, it was good to see the stalwarts there: Mr John Watts, Mr Ray Bentley, the McGraths, Mr Peter Brooks, Mr Norman Cornish, Stuart Perry Esq and Mrs Eve Wilkinson. It was great to see Mr John Wilkinson ex- 17/21L joining us again. It was sad to see that the regular at- tenders of Owen Scholte Esq, and John and Margaret Hadfield Powell were unable to make this year’s lunch. As has become a Wessex Reunion lunch tradition, Brigadier Pye brought an arm- full of daffodils for Liz Draper amounting to the customary 108 – you work it out?
Major Martyn Pocock, Brigadier Hugh Pye, Mrs Liz Draper and Ms Di Ludlow
Mrs Liz Draper with a small selection of the 108 daffodils
The Canterbury Reunion
The Canterbury Reunion Lunch is the event that has drawn the collective antecedent lancers together from amalgamation. Originally a 9/12L function, this event has been supported by the Maidstone Branch of the QRL from the beginning. I believe this year with all the work that Mr Dick Boorman put into it has now found a format which pulls all the Lancers together. For the first time in many years the memorials to the 9L and 21L which had been covered by sheeting and scaffolding were visible to the general public. So, this year there were two major changes in format. The first being the assembled group visited and laid wreaths and regimental collects read at all the memorials in the cathedral to the antecedent regiments. Wreaths were laid at the 9L, by Major Watson, 21L by Mr Boorman and Colonel English CBE, representing the Colonel of the Regiment laid a wreath at the 16L Aliwal memorial. Dick Boorman also arranged access to the usually locked memorial book the casualties of the Great War. Secondly, after the service of remembrance, we adjourned to a restaurant in Canterbury city centre for lunch, breaking away from dining in the cloisters and therefore reducing the cost significant. Homeheadquarters would like to publicly thank Mr Dick Boorman for all his efforts in developing this event in the spirit of lancer inclusiveness.
A small but select gathering
Lancers pay their respects to the 16L
The 16L First World War book of remembrance