Page 23 - Cadet Review Summer 2023

FIRST AID
By Sergeant Jessica Fox
Air Training Corps anniversary dinner
Early in February, and in line with the anniversary of the formation of the Air Training Corps in 1941, cadets, staff and committee members from 868 (Mirfield) Squadron, together with invited guests met at the Old Colonial in Mirfield for their annual Dining-In Night, in the form of an RAF mess dinner: the men donned their white shirts and bow-ties and the ladies their evening dresses, with some staff wearing their formal mess kit, and a few full dinner suits were to be seen as well.
Special guest for the evening was Wing Commander (Ret’d) “Sandy” Sandford currently with the Air Cadets as a Civilian Instructor at 631 Aviation Ground School at RAF Woodvale and lead instructor for Air Traffic Control on the Royal Air Force Air Cadets’ Qualified Aerospace Instructor Course. Also present on the top table, in his army mess kit, was the Squadron’s Honorary President, Major Stan Hardy, who is also a Deputy Lieutenant for West Yorkshire.
The formalities of the occasion were started with grace, said by the Squadron Chaplain, Rev Christine Shedd. An excellent three course meal was served, with the mood lightened by a quiz and a pass-the-parcel game that were slotted in between the courses. When the time came
for speeches there was a high-value sweepstake taken for how long the Squadron Commander, Flight Lieutenant Peter Doubell, would speak for and which was won by cadet Sophie Pease.
In his speech, Flt Lt Doubell reflected on how the Squadron had developed since the various lockdown stages of the Covid-19 pandemic and the wide range of activities and achievements that had been enjoyed during the past year, and which would now continue into the coming months.
Overall, everybody had a good time, and Flt Lt Doubell said “what a great evening this has been; who doesn’t like a good dinner with a few party games thrown in! We use this annual event to introduce the idea and formality of a service mess dinner in a way that is appropriate to cadets, and a menu they will feel comfortable with, and I think we have certainly achieved that this evening, it’s been a great success, so thanks to Tim and Carol Wood at The Old Colonial for providing the catering and venue for us, and to Mrs Doubell for preparing and setting out the tables in advance.”
CADET REVIEW SUMMER 2023 23