ROYAL NAVAL RESERVE OFFICERS’ CLUB
LIVERPOOL
SEA URCHINS
Patron: Captain P. J. Walker CBE RN
President: Commander P J Russ RD RNR
May 2015 Newsletter
Circulated by Tony Muncer, Hon Secretary. Tel: 0151 334 8393 Mob: 0779 215 4397
Web Site www.rnrofficersclubliverpool.org
Annual General Meeting
The AGM was held on 13 March 2015 and the following Officers were elected for the coming year:
President. P J Russ RD RNR
Vice President. B B Williams RD RNR
Hon Secretary. A D Muncer RD RNR
Hon Treasurer. J G Glover RD RNR
Social Secretary. M N Booth RN
The Committee members duly elected are:
Stephen Bleasdale, John Billington, Mike Brocklebank, Tom Cunningham, Jeremy Eyre, John Felice, Robin Gallagher, Colin Lee, Linda Peffers, Mike Tomkinson, Jack Thomas, Ann Walker and John Williams.
The members present expressed their grateful thanks to John Billington and Alison Telfer, for auditing the 2014 accounts. As Alison requested to audit for one year only John Billington and Mike Tomkinson were elected as auditors for 2015.
New Members
Since the last newsletter we are pleased to welcome the following new members:
Lieutenant Commander S C Cameron RNR. Shaun is currently the Senior Divisional Officer at HMS Eaglet. An Amphibious Warfare Officer he has served full time in the RNR including 4 years with 43 Commando Fleet Protection Group. Shaun also holds a RYA Yachtmaster Offshore Commercial Certificate.
Captain I Mathison MN. Ian has served 48 in the maritime industry. This includes 25 years at sea where he served with T & J Harrison as Master and Marine Superintendent then with Bibby Line as Director Marine and Safety. Since retirement he has been actively involved with the Nautical Institute both nationally and locally.
A S Robertson. Andy served with the RN for 26 years. His duties included Lead Engineer in Gibraltar, Head of Engineering Systems at the King Fahd Naval Academy in Saudi Arabia, Mentor and Coach to Officer Cadets at BRNC Dartmouth and Training Analyst to the Royal Engineers at Brompton.
In Memoriam
Since the last newsletter we regret to advise the passing of the following members:
Captain D Lawrenson MN. We learnt in March that David, an Honorary Member of the Club, had passed away last August. David was a Past Master and former President of the Merseyside Master Mariners Club.
Lieutenant A Hughes (A) RNVR. Sadly Albert passed away in February this year. He had been unable to attend our recent functions and had moved to sheltered accommodation in Eastham a couple of years ago. Cec Jones served with Albert in the Pacific in 1945 and has passed to me an article written by Albert entitled VJ Day – The Days Before. Albert served with 1841 Corsair squadron flying from HMS Formidable. Albert was in the flight that attacked and sank the ocean escort Amakusa on 09 August 1945. The flight leader was Lieutenant Hampton Gray VC DSC RCNVR. If you would like a scanned copy of the article please let me know.
Social Events and Diary Dates for 2015
On the 19th March several members attended the Liverpool Nautical Research Society who had a presentation of 'Two and a half Centuries of Mersey Pilotage’ by Geoffrey Topp. The 250th anniversary of the founding of the Liverpool Pilot Service approaches in 2016.
As previously advised Commander John Billington CBE DL RD* RNR is very kindly opening up his company's board room in the Cunard Building for the visit of the three Cunard ‘Queens’. The offices do not overlook the river but will provide a safe haven for members to relax, take refreshments and use the office facilities. The office is Edward Billington & Son Ltd.; located on the second floor (stairs and lift on the right of lobby). Access will be controlled and will be via the South Door of the Cunard Building, facing the Port of Liverpool Building. The venue will be open from 11.00 to 14.30. This event is now fully booked and the names of those attending have been passed to the Cunard Building security staff.
Diary Dates
1. On the 30th May there will a Gala Charity Concert in the historic St Georges Hall Concert room, compared by Simon Hobday, and including songs from the shows, a silver band and a choir, see attached flyer. Tickets are still available from our member Grahame Walker. Should you wish to attend please telephone Grahame on 01704 578982 and not the numbers on the flyer.
2. Our next event will be the President’s Picnic on Sunday 28th June 2015 between 12:30 and 16:00 at NRCNE on the wardroom veranda (or Bridge deck). We can use the wardroom as a wet weather alternative and a cash bar will be in operation in addition to any refreshments members might bring. Please see attached Application Form, with details.
3. The next Wardroom wine and cheese party will be on Saturday 4 July 2015. This is a very worthwhile event and gives our members an opportunity to meet socially with those currently serving.
4. Father David Gamble’s silver jubilee of his ordination will be on 21 July 2015. He will be celebrating Mass at 7.00pm in the evening at the Holy Family Church, Back o’ th’ Town Lane, Ince Blundell, L38 6JJ and a buffet will follow afterwards in the Ince Blundell Village Hall, and he would like to invite the Sea Urchins along to the celebration. If you wish to attend could you please let Mike Booth know by 30th June as the parish need to have some idea as to the numbers.
5. Maritime History North will be holding their Autumn seminar again at RNHQ on Saturday 10 October 2015. The subject is "Maritime Merseyside". There will be a series of presentations on some of the more notable shipping lines, associated organisations and their activities together with a presentation on the Lusitania to be given by the Merseyside Maritime Museum. Full details will be promulgated in due course. Concessionary rates for Sea Urchins will be £20 per head to include tea, coffee and a light lunch. Last years seminar was extremely interesting and I’m sure this one will be the same.
6. The Manchester Naval Officers Association Trafalgar Night Dinner will be held on Thursday 15th October 2015. Details will be promulgated in due course.
7. HMS Eaglet Trafalgar Night Dinner, details will be promulgated in due course.
8. 150th Anniversary of the surrender of the CSS Shenandoah in Liverpool to HMS Donegal will be commemorated between the 4th and 7th November 2015. We will forward details of the various events being organised as soon as we know. Interestingly some of the timbers from HMS Donegal went into the building of the Old Ship public house in Brighouse and Robin Gallagher is helping the landlord to generate interest locally.
9. Admiral Alan William John West, Baron West of Spithead GCB, DSC, PC will be presenting The Role of the Royal Navy in World War One, on Thursday 12th November 2015 at 17:00 hrs in St Georges Hall. Pre sale tickets may be available to members. Details will follow when available.
10. The Sea Urchins 94th Annual Dinner will take place on Friday 27th November 2015. Details will be promulgated in due course.
11. The Christmas Luncheon will be Wednesday 9th December 2015.
Subscriptions
At present there are 17 members who have not yet paid their 2015 subscriptions, 8 of whom haven’t paid their 2014 subscriptions. For those who have not yet paid please send your subscription as soon as possible to the Hon. Treasurer, John Glover, at 22 Tudor Way, Chester, CH3 5XQ, cheques to be made payable to the ‘RNR Officers’ Club, Liverpool’. To save on administration we would prefer that you pay your subscription by standing order or faster payment. The Club’s bank account details are Lloyds, sort code 30-15-52 and account number 00132554.
Luncheon Arrangements
The feedback we are receiving with respect to our new caterers is very good indeed and we encourage those members who haven’t yet tried and are available to join us. The booking system remains as previous. For those of you who are not on the Standing List and wish to book lunch please phone Martin on 01695 578467 by noon on the Monday and leave a message on their answer phone. Members on the current Standing List are:
E J Billington, I Britten, D Campbell,J Cosker, S Dowle, J Eyre, J Felice, J Glover, D Howel, C Jeans, C Jones, D Knight, A Muncer, R Owen, L Peffers, P Russ, B Smith, J Thomas, A Walker, R Walker, A Ware.
The cost remains the same, at £18. We wish to encourage as many members and guests as possible to attend. June luncheon. Could you please telephone Jeremy Eyre on 0151 652 4765 as I will be away.
Web – Site
The Club’s web-site is nearly complete. The following and above link will take you straight to it www.rnrofficersclubliverpool.org By now you should have received your password access to the Members Section. If not please let me know.
If any of you have memories, photographs or articles of HMS Eaglet or the Sea Urchins you would like to share please let me know and we will include them on the web-site. One interesting article we have recently received and will include is from our member Jim O’Neil. He was fortunate enough to meet Howard Coleman, the Programme Director for the new Liverpool 2 Container Terminal and was pointed in the direction of the following article from last September about dredging the Mersey. http://www.porttechnology.org/technical_papers/dredging_the_mersey_for_liverpool2_container_port_development Jim notes that we have experts among our members but thinks the article might be of interest to all of us who sailed (navigated?) down the River on many a dodgy Friday night !!
As previously mentioned those who don’t have access to the web please do not worry as the Newsletter and important announcements will still be delivered to you by mail.
ADM 15 May 2015
PRESIDENT’S PICNIC
The President and his wife, Karen invites Sea Urchins, and their guests to a picnic on Sunday 28th June 2015 at 12:30 hrs on the Wardroom veranda of H M S Eaglet. There will be wine on arrival.
The Wardroom bar will be open and we have plans to accommodate everyone in the event of wet weather in the Wardroom.
If you would like to attend please reply to Mike Booth, the Social Secretary:
Mr. M N Booth, Beach House, 14 Endsleigh Road, Brighton-le-Sands, Liverpool L226QQ. Telephone 0151 932 1896 Email .
I wish to attend the President’s Picnic on Sunday 28th June 2014.
I………………………………………along with my guest(s)…………………………
...... Will be accepting the President’s invitation.
Signed…………………………………………………………………..
Sea Urchins please note.
Please telephone Grahame Walker on 01704 578982 for tickets.