June issue - Magazine - Page 49
Glenside
News
GlensideNews@mail.com
WITHAM ON
THE HILL WI
REPORT
Our June speaker, Kenneth Moore, is a tour
guide at Lincoln Castle and Bomber
Command, and has been a speaker on Fred
Olsen Cruises. When he was in the RAF he
flew in Shackletons, Phantom F4s, Tornados
and AWACS as a navigator.
He told us that the Shackleton was a 1950s
plane with 1940s radar and joked that was
50,000 rivets in close formation! He spoke of
training Exercise Redcan when he had to
pretend to be a Russian Tupolev plane, and an
incident when ashes were scattered from a
plane over the sea by the RAF Padre. They
were blow back into the galley stew pot, which
was stirred and served! He insisted that was a
true story!
His talk was illustrated with photographs
edited with cartoon characters! He revealed the
problems of using the toilet bags when on a
long flight, and the walk of shame at mess
dinners! He spoke about having his room taken
by Prince William when he booked a place at
HMS Excellent in Portsmouth while on a
training course – he did meet him at breakfast.
Moore's career took him to various places
around the world, including Iceland, the
Falklands, Italy and Bosnia. He ended his talk
by saying he met King Charles last year when
he received the Elizabeth Emblem, an honour
granted to the next of kin of emergency
personnel who lose their lives in the course of
their duty. He received his because his father, a
diver, died saving the lives of people in the
Manchester ship canal.
Members are looking forward to outings to
Easton Walled Gardens, Elton Hall and
Tolethorpe. The knitted squares are progressing
rapidly, and six blankets have so far been
completed. It is hoped that we can present a
dozen to Peterborough Hospital in the autumn.
The next meeting will be on
Tuesday 8 July at 7.30pm
in Carlby Village Hall as it will be the
annual joint meeting with Carlby WI
The speaker will be Jeff Woods, aka Pavanotti,
an operatic tenor with lots of funny stories!
Visitors and new members are always
welcome - entry fee is £5. For information
contact Jane Clark on 01778 590232.
COMMUNITY
Dropping Names
By Rose Bakker
This is a good game. It can be played at many levels, mostly to a
high standard, men oning celebri es of whom I have no
knowledge whatever. Play on! My own low-level effort is quite
entertaining. For instance, I was once introduced to Sir Malcolm
Sargent, the composer, organist and long- me conductor of the
Proms. True, I was only five at the me and he was not yet a Sir and anyway I cannot remember him - but it must be worth a small
score.
Now I am old some of my favourites will be meaningless to you.
Does anyone remember Marguerite Pa en? She wrote the popular
101 Recipes For... cookery books which
were economical (in the pre- and post-war
austerity years) and very useable. I met her
demonstra ng homemade alterna ves to
Cornflakes in Bentalls in London (our large
local department store) and liked her a lot.
We got on fine, although my mother could
not be interested in the breakfast cereal so
we con nued at home with good Sco sh
porridge (with salt).
Once I nearly met the poet Philip Larkin but he had already le
the event so there was only the reflected glory of his girlfriend
Monica Jones remaining. She was, in his absence, given something
of an aura, but hardly spoke to me. I do have, in the poetry
department, a very nice personal le er from Benjamin Zephaniah
discussing childlessness. Lost babies did not much interest A McCall
Smith, despite his wri ng of them, so we had nothing from him.
I cannot claim long conversa ons with them but I have met
Princess Anne at Heckington Windmill, where she made an all-day
visit, and she was completely charming, and A Wainwright, author
of the Lakeland walking guides, who was nice but intensely shy.
However, I can with confidence drop this next (last) name as it
is so easy to admire him - drama cally intense Sir David
A enborough. I was
a leader of a wildlife
watch group and was
invited with others
to meet him. He is
very interested in
teaching nature to
the young and that
was what he was
giving a talk about. During the talk, one of our members collapsed
drama cally - either from excitement of the heat. Sir David would
not con nue un l she had recovered so we had a long personal
chat in the mean me and I can tes fy that he is as nice as is said
about him. That a ernoon is a good memory.
That’s the best I can do. How’s my score now? And what about
yours? God bless all our happy memories, and us - it’s certain those
celebri es won’t remember us, so we need a blessing. And one to
all of you in Glenside, too.
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