Blackpool Fylde and Wyre Branch Branch Sec: 012 5388 6561 Meets: 3rd Thursday monthly at 1930

Margaret Taylor writes: We were joined at our March meeting by Blackpool Sea Cadets who helped us with the bucket collection at Blackpool FC in February. We had a small buffet and our Chairman Mark Smith presented them with a cheque for £100 for their funds. On the same evening, we had an interesting and informative talk from the James Garnett Foundation about the Battle of Gavrelle Windmill which took place 28-29 April 1917 and resulted in 846 casualties from the Royal Marines Light Infantry, the greatest ever number of casualties in the Corps’ history. There is more information at royalmarineshistory.com Click Here to visit the site.

Mark Smith presents a cheque to the Sea Cadets

March saw many of our members in London for the Mountbatten Festival of Music, I think we had representatives at every performance. In fact, it was so good some people went twice. The Taylor clan added other activities to their itinerary with a tour of the Houses of Parliament on the Friday afternoon followed by the visit to the Tower of London for The Ceremony of The Keys. The welcome from the Yeoman Warders was brilliant and we all partook in a few libations. Thank you to everyone involved in the organisation for a great night and a tick off my bucket list.

Mick Taylor, Paul Deacon, Paul Taylor and Decca Taylor at the Tower

Before our April meeting we all had a drink and toasted our friend and colleague Malcolm Dove whose sister had sent money and asked us to do so for his birthday on 21 April. He sadly passed away in May last year following a stroke. Malcolm was a founder member and a stalwart of the Branch having been our Standard Bearer and always willing to help with any task.

We held our AGM in April which was well attended. The only vote made was for the position of Chairman and, following a very close vote, Bob Wareham was voted into the post. We all thanked the outgoing Chair, Mark Smith, for all his work, especially in the last year and hoped he would still support the Branch as he has always done.

Well, that’s all for now we are building up to all the forthcoming parades and memorials, especially the ones to mark the 80th anniversary of the end of the Second World War. Sadly, we have no veterans from that era in the Branch anymore but we will be remembering all the great characters we have known and to whom we all owe so much.

Bridgwater Branch Branch Sec: 012 7865 2521 Meets: 2nd Wednesday monthly at 2000

Bill Monteith writes: ‘All quiet on the Western Front’ as the old saying goes. Well, it was until recently! It seems a long time since a report from Bridgwater Branch appeared in print so here is an attempt to highlight the comings and goings down here in ‘Zummerzet’.

Christmas saw us gathering for the ‘Works Christmas Drinks’ and a good gathering saw the festive period off to a good (and wet) start. We were looking forward to 2025 with renewed optimism. And at first it started well enough. We moved ‘Branch HQ’ from our longstanding meeting place at the Tudor Hotel and into slightly more spartan accommodation in the Bridgwater Activity Centre. Given the frailty of many of our more senior members the word ‘Activity’ is stretching credibility somewhat, but at least we have somewhere, with a bar, where we can hang the Standard!

We made it until 12 February before the bad news started. One of our more colourful members, Terry ‘Janner’ Rickard crossed the bar after a long and courageous battle with cancer. Terry was a very forthright character, but he was what could be described as an absolute ‘Diamond’. He bore his pain with great fortitude for many years, but always looked after others both financially and benevolently where good causes were concerned. He was a Bootneck through and through. In keeping with his life his funeral service and cremation on 29 March 2025 was as unusual as his approach to life! He arrived at the crematorium on the back of a skip lorry, along with a convoy featuring a fire engine, American trucks, the RMA Riders Branch and Invictus MC complete with police escort, which toured the Burnham and Highbridge area before arrival at the crematorium, where the entire convoy was then led in by TS Weston Sea Cadet Band, the RMA National Standards along with Bridgwater Branch Standard and the Somerset Fire Brigade Standard. The Guard of Honour was a Bridgwater Branch/Somerset Fire Brigade joint effort. The wake, extremely well attended, was held at the Watchfield Inn. All in all, a fitting send off to a remarkable person, and it was an honour to have had him as a Branch member and as a friend. Rest easy Jan.

Branch members at MFM

The Branch attended the Mountbatten Festival of Music, where we indulged ourselves with a box! A superb night of entertainment was had, as usual, accompanied by the fun of a get together in our Capital City for some fun and frolics!