Wiltshire Winches t er (Hampshire

The Wiltshire branch has been busy since the last report. We have had a partial withdrawal of the chairman Brian Darvill and the temporary insertion of Mike Walsh to hold things together until the AGM is held in Jan 16 where just like FIFA all the members can throw their hats in the ring. Brian has done a sterling job over the past 7 years and whoever takes over will have a hard act to follow. He is not going away, but he intends to take it easy now and guide us from the back benches. We wish him and Blanche well and thank him for all the hard work he has put into keeping the branch in the public eye.

Well the summer may not have been as hot as we would have liked but this did not stop us enjoying ourselves. The annual branch BBQ was hosted by CZ and Jax in August. Each year there is a different theme as decided by the hosts and CZ decreed that the theme was to be Mexican, this led to a good turnout of over the top sombreros and well dodgy moustaches. Well done to CZ and Jax for a great day (and night), excellent food and company. The host for BBQ16 was announced and next year Gaz and Rosemary Peacock have picked up the baton and decreed that the theme is to be Hawaiian, we can’t wait. We want to take this opportunity to mention Pete Page and his Central gang for a great Greenstock, we had a good few members travel there and they all said how well it was organised and can’t wait for the next one in 2017.

The annual branch dinner took place on the 10th of October and with 44 members and their guests present it was a good turnout yet again. Well done to Phil Ashby for organising yet another great social. This year the dinner was held at the Warminster Conservative club who had invited us to join them at their annual dinner and this meant that costs were reduced as the entertainment was provided by the Conservative club as part of their dinner night.

This year in line with the previous years the branch supported the annual RBL Poppy appeal. The collection point was for the second year the Waitrose store in Warminster. Friday and Saturday from 0900 until 1900hrs members manned the display dressed in their fi nest mufti, the manager and his staff looked after us admirably serving us coffee and biscuits throughout our stay. The store was busy throughout the two days in spite of the weather and the locals gave generously. The fi nal total was a bit of a shock with the two day collection raising a total of £2554.61. Well done to all those who gave up their time and don’t forget, same time same place next year.

There was a good turnout again from the branch for the annual Remembrance parade held on the 8th of November with the branch highly visible at “Green Jacket corner”. Before the parade members met in the Old Bell in Warminster and prepared for the parade in the traditional Green Jacket way. Afterwards the branch was invited to the Conservative club to join them in a plate of warming stew washed down with cold beer.

The latest event in our social calendar was the annual skittles night, again admirably organised by Phil and Val Ashby. This was held on Friday the 13th November at the Organ Inn Warminster. There was a large turnout for this highly popular event. Whilst the best skittler is rewarded with a magnifi cent trophy donated by David Smith the real challenge is avoiding the wooden spoon for the lowest score. Having won it for the last two years Brian and Blanche Darvill were anxious to avoid retaining it. They succeeded (only just) and the holder of the wooden spoon for this year is Mags Caws. The award for the best skittler was Bill Tyson, and Elaine Holcombe became the ladies champion. Well done to all three.

As I write this Christmas is looming and the horrors of the recent events in Paris are still being analysed. It serves as a timely reminder of the dangerous times we still live in, the enemy may change over the years but the threat is still there. The Wiltshire branch wishes everyone a merry, safe and peaceful Xmas and hope 2016 brings peace and happiness to you all.

WINCHESTER (HAMPSHIRE) BRANCH

On Sunday the 8th November I had a revelation. Not one of those big biblical things where dark storm clouds part to reveal beams of heavenly sunlight, but as revelations go pretty big nevertheless. It came about as I drove from home to Winchester to join my branch for the city’s Service of Remembrance;when it suddenly dawned on me that after 30 years in the Army and despite those years of service instilling in me a few (although many would argue much less than a few) admired characteristics of a comic book Superhero, and a deep sense of loyalty and love for my country and regiment – a sudden realisation that I developed a more sensitive side to my character! along and noticedthat despite the time being only 8.30 in the morning how extraordinarilyquiet the roads and pavements were on this our national day of remembrance. Other than the odd jogger and few manic driverswith their carsloaded down with rubbish as he or she made their way to the nearest car boot sale it was like a scene from the Walking Dead!

Instantly the thought crept into my head that very few people, if any at all, had clearly no intention or plans forremembering and honouring our war dead on this most important day of the year, and secondly therefore it was

very likely that this same scenario would undoubtedly be refl ected throughout the rest of the country too. Of course Ifound these thoughts a little depressing and disappointing to say the least, and I decidedthere and then that I must be anoverly sensitive soul. Actually there was more than a little bit of anger, bitterness and involuntary movement of the old trigger fi nger too but I will discuss that later with my psychiatrist.

at the ATR in SJM Barracks. Our attendance at this particular event is really welcomed by the management of the ATR as it enables the recruits going through their training to share their day of Remembrance with veterans of the organisation they too have now become members of, and will hopefully one day aspire to be themselves. Although on occasion this event tends to make us a bit thin on the ground it is nevertheless something we are happy to support, not least because it also helps to maintain a good relationship with the ATR which is essential if we are to continue holding our reunion there in future years. Although Remembrance Day is primarily a day for quiet refl ection and commemoration it is also a day for surviving veterans to reaffi rm old friendships and retell very tall war stories over a pint or two. So immediately after the fi nal service all our branch members together with friends and family of the KRRC moved from our various dispersed locations around the city and converged on Roy Stanger’s second home – the South Winchester Golf Club for a superb 3 course meal and a natter. Good food and good friends together in a fraternity of Rifl emen is the perfect counterbalance and upliftingfi nale to the solemnness of the day. A Merry Christmas and a Healthy and Prosperous New Year to all Rifl emen and their families wherever they are. On arrival in Winchester the sensitivity of my disappointment in the apathetic attitude of the general population to our day of remembrance was slightly assuaged as we parked the car and made our way to the Cathedral. Thankfully there were many others who like us who had decided there were plenty of other days in the year in which they could don their unfl attering Lycra and go for a bit of a run, or to pass their accumulated and unwanted rubbish on to someone else. In fact the good news was that the city was awash with people meandering around dressed in their Sunday best with many wearing their own or family medals with pride. Above all of this, the shouted commands of uniformed professionals, and in the background the sound of bands warming up mixed with the excited chatter of cadets and scouts as they chivvied themselves into their parade order,somewhat helped to restore my faith in at least a small part of our population. By 9am our branch together with members of the Celer et Audax Club, KRRC Association, the RGJ Scouts, other cadet units and associated organisations and interested individuals had gathered at the KRRC Memorial for a short Service of Remembrance and wreath laying. Although this little ceremony and service is primarily dedicated to the fallen of the KRRC it is certainly something we as a branch of the RGJA are more than happy to participate in, and indeed now oversee due to the declining members of the KRRC Association. As always it went like clockwork with our inimitable Chairman Roy Stanger (KRRC/RGJ) indicating when things should happen with his snappy low arm bowling signals. This was immediately followed by the main Service of Remembrance in the cathedral and wreath laying at the War Memorial immediately afterwards. Whilst the main service and parade was going on in the city other members of our branch were also out and about representing the branch at other memorial events. In London Lyndon Harper an honorary and incredibly staunch member of the branch and son of John Harper (OBLI/RGJ) and our branch Secretary took the time to lay a cross at the Garden of Remembrance in Westminster Abbey and a simple poppy on the grave of the Unknown Warrior. Whilst back in Winchester a goodly number of the branch attended a Drum Head Service of Remembrance Lyndon Harper at the Garden of Remembrance in Westmister Abbey.