If there's anybody out there, the very best of greetings to you all and here's a summary by your Standard Bearer, of:-
Parades Attended 2024
12thFeb 11.00 Channel Dash Ramsgate
14.00 Channel Dash Dover
23rdJune Armed Forces Day Weymouth
26th Armed Forces Day Bromley
27th Royal Navy and Royal Naval Association Memorial Dedication
White House Farm, Rettenden, Essex
29th Armed Forces Day Ramsgate
7thJuly Battle of Britain Memorial Capel le Ferne, Folkestone
14th Sea Sunday Bromley
28th Sea Sunday Maidstone
18th Aug Sea Sunday Ramsgate
3rdSept Merchant Navy Day Dover
8th Merchant Navy Day Tower Hill
15th Battle of Britain Day Biggin Hill
9thOct Annual Seafarers Service St Pauls Cathedral
19th Annual Poppy Appeal Benidorm Spain
21st Trafalgar Night Dinner Royal Naval Association,
Torrevieja, Spain
10thNov Remembrance Sunday Hayling Island
Home Parade of Edward Ford, PWSTS Ingham
MN 1939 1945
11th Remembrance Service CWGC St Peters Cemetery Broadstairs
Also Submariners Association East Kent Submariners grave
St Peters Cemetery Broadstairs
12thDec Sailors Society Annual Carol Service All Hallows Church, Tower Hill
(Standard not paraded but uniform worn)
Sadly, also 5 funerals of maritime personnel throughout the year
The trip to Spain came about because a fellow member of Bromley RNA resides there and is also a member of RNA Torrevieja branch where they always include the MN in any of their services or remembrances and I thought it a fitting last hurrah to parade there to show our appreciation. The Standard was well received and greatly appreciated. It also coincided with the annual Poppy Appeal Parade further up the coast in Benidorm a couple of days previously, so why not? That too was much appreciated with a few approaching afterwards to say that they too were ex MN and how good it was to see the old Red Ensign paraded in front of the King of Spains representatives, embassy officials, local mayors and ordinary folk of all nations. I must say that marching behind a local pipe band drew attention and applause and it was, although somewhat painful, a pleasure to be there and gratefully partially relieved by a beer or two in a local hostelry afterwards.
As previously mentioned, my health is not as it used to be and I do struggle and although I am now having to be more mindful of the parades and services I attend I will continue to parade the PWSTS Standard for as long as possible, at least one more year, perhaps, although I fear the end is near.
This then raises the unhappy eventuality of the laying up of the Standard unless there is anyone out there that is able to take up the post of Standard Bearer when I am forced to relinquish it?
Any ideas as to where the laying up should occur so that approaches can be made?
Michael, thanks for your time and effort in attentending the parades with our standard, I'm sure that we all agree that it's well appreciated by all of us. I would love to be able to take up the standard, it may seem odd but even though I'm retired I do not have the time, especially in the winter months to commit to doing it.
