His replacement, Ray Wilson, resigned after five months in office on the spurious excuse that he was going to live on the East Coast of Darkest Yorkshire. One wonders if people are trying to tell the Secretary something. Ill health is cutting our numbers attending and we hope to see Reg Strauther and Aubrey Mosley back in the fold as soon as possible.
Last year we paid homage on 11th November at the small Regimental memorial at Carr Bank Park with several members of 2 MERCIAN as well as members of the District Council and members of the public who turn up every year to support us. We attended the Crich Buffet Supper and our Standard managed not to get airborne in the gale force winds at Crich itself. Don Topliss stepped into the breach and carried our Standard at the unveiling of the memorial at Tyne Cot. Locally, we had our Branch dinner on 2nd October and were pleased to welcome the Chesterfield Branch, shepherded by Mick Giles and “Johno” Johnson, who support us admirably. We took the opportunity of presenting our past Chairman with a Regimental wall plaque to record our appreciation of his services. Capt. Simon Cupples CGC made the presentation having stood in for our President, Reg Strauther, at the last minute due to the latter’s illness. We look forward, with some trepidation, to remaining in our present venue for meetings. The landlord of the pub where we meet seems to change more rapidly than the Secretary swaps his socks!
Nottingham
This year, Nottingham Branch has attended many functions. In early January, Branch members visited the MOD Rehabilitation Centre at Headley Court, Surrey, and met a number of wounded servicemen and women. Later that month, many of the branch members attended a fundraising event for the Help the Heroes Charity at the Basford Miners’ Welfare, Bulwell, where a grand total of £2,500 was raised.
Members of the branch attended the 2nd Battalion Freedom marches in Nottinghamshire and Derbyshire in March and, in April, members attended the dedication of the newly- erected war memorial on the Clifton Estate, Nottingham. The memorial bears the name of LCpl Keiron Hill of the 2nd Battalion, who, sadly, was killed in Afghanistan in May 2009, and also the names of other servicemen from Clifton and surrounding villages.
Early in May, branch members attended the dedication of a memorial to the 20
The Victoria Cross Memorial in Nottingham Castle grounds
Nottinghamshire Victoria Cross holders which was unveiled within the grounds of Nottingham Castle and they attended, also, the annual Albert Ball Memorial Service. Members were present at the St George’s Day Dinner and at the Badajoz Day celebrations. Sixty two members celebrated Armed Forces Weekend with a party at our club venue and, on the Sunday, at the Drumhead Service in Wollaton Park, Nottingham. We thoroughly enjoyed the Pre-Crich Buffet held in Foresters House and also the Annual Pilgrimage to the Regimental Memorial at Crich on 4th July.
Our branch was well represented at a number of Remembrance Day Services held at the Trent Embankment, Nottingham, Menin Gate, Ypres and at the Cenotaph, London. Members also attended and enjoyed a Remembrance Day concert held at Carlton Forum, Nottingham.
We are looking forward to the Branch Christmas Party and have pencilled into our diaries a branch day trip, hopefully as good as this year’s to the Ironbridge Gorge Museum. We look forward to participating in a tour of the Somme, the Armed Forces Day Buffet and also the Pre-Crich Buffet and Annual Pilgrimage to the War Memorial at Crich, the first Sunday in July 2011.
Sadly, the branch has lost three staunch members who have passed through the golden gates - Vic Bunyan, Henry Hopps and Barry Cowley.
Badajoz Day at Nottingham Castle: Fred Cosgrove (l) and Colin Wheeldon
Ilkeston
Another year has gone by with lots of events taking place both at home and abroad. The Ilkeston Branch members send their regards to the 2nd Battalion soldiers.
Help for Heroes fundraising evening at Basford Miners’ Welfare Branch members l to r: Mrs Chris Eden, unknown, Mr and Mrs David Alton, Mr and Mrs Doug Bradshaw, Mr and Mrs Ken Wilkins
146 October 2010
Nottingham and Nottinghamshire VC Memorial Parade at Nottingham Castle to commemorate twenty Victoria Cross Winners
It seems a long time since we were putting our contributions to The Mercian Eagle and nothing out of the ordinary has occurred. We, the Ilkeston Branch, still meet every second Tuesday of the month at 1130 hours at the Flamstead Centre, Ilkeston, and we offer a warm welcome to new members or visitors to our meetings. We are a small Branch consisting of mainly ten former Foresters plus one member who served with the RAMC: it gets more like the “Stick Parade” as each year passes. This year, the members attended the new Memorial unveiling at Tyne Cot, Belgium, and also the Branch Standard paraded at the Crich Pilgrimage and other venues around the county. On occasions, the Ilkeston Cadet Company has helped out to carry the Standard as it is rather heavy.
The Mercian Eagle
Kieron Hill Memorial Parade at Clifton. Branch Standard Bearer Ken Wilkins (centre) before the Parade
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