Dorset Association www.householdcavalryassociationdorset.org President The Rt. Hon. The Earl of Normanton Chairman Raymond Peck, formerly The Life Guards Secretary and Treasurer John Triggs BEM, formerly The Blues and Royals Committee Trevor Collett Senior formerly the Blues and Royals Dudley Feltham formerly the Royal Horse Guards Fred Kemp formerly the Royal Horse Guards Brian Murray formerly The Blues and Royals Wally Pitt formerly The Blues and Royals Bill Stephenson formerly The Blues and Royals Co-opted Committee Members Lt Col (Retd) Mick Harding Staff Quartermaster WO1 Andy Panter RHG/D TD&PW The Armour Centre hile sensible people are recovering from Christmas and the New Year, the Committee was busy fine-tuning another full year’s activities, which arrived on members’ doorsteps with the January newsletter. Before we knew it, it was the All Saints Dinner and Dance, a cross between the patron saints and all things British. Come 12th March, 105 members and guests assembled at the Savoy Hotel to greet our President, Lord Normanton and enjoy a formal dinner with the guest of honour, the Lord Lieutenant of Dorset, Captain and Mrs Michael Fulford-Dobson CVO RN. Also invited was Ms Audrey Gillian, the ‘embedded’ Guardian reporter with D Squadron HCR in Iraq; regrettably she had an assignment in Cuba at the last minute prior to attending.
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Dined, wined and truly entertained by the guest speaker and the Bournemouth Orpheus Male Choir, members retired to the Imperial Ballroom for the Winter Warmer Draw and Dave Harris won the £250 main prize, which he immediately donated to our sponsored charity, East Holton Driving Centre. Paul Newman was the winner of the second prize of an Annual Dinner weekend, and the final prize being won by Graham Wilde, a pair of Annual Dinner tickets. The night was danced away to a live group, and the bar eventually closed at 3:30am.
24th Annual Dinner Dance, 15 October 2005. Rear, L to R: Maj (Retd) N Hadden-Paton, Col HPD Massey, Col PJ Tabor, Mr R Peck (Chairman). Front: Mrs P Peck, Mrs C Massey.
On into May and many members attended the regimental association dinners and the Combined Cavalry Parade. Regrettably, the RBL ‘forgot’ to deliver to Hyde Park our Association wreath so for the first time in ten years, we were unable to lay a wreath at the RHG/D Memorial. A letter of abject apology was received and accepted by the Committee who agreed in future we would use another system. August 13th saw the Committee and the Regimental Recruiting Team at the Ellingham Show. The weather and Hampshire Constabulary traffic plan contrived to reduce attendance but, despite this, we were able to welcome Maj (Retd) Jack Peck and others to the stand. Fluffy toys were soon departing Household Cavalry hands and going on to new homes and all the while we were supporting our sponsored charity. Come 15th October, and members patiently sat through the 24th AGM before departing on buses from one hotel to another for the annual Dinner and Dance. The Gentlemen Trumpeters blew the calls to perfection, and 224 members, ladies and guests sat down to dinner in the presence of the past Commander Household Cavalry, Col Massey and the current Commander Col Tabor. Dinner dined and wine wined, Col Massey made a welcome speech, which was very well received. Sadly a member, Bert Keep, had recently died and, as a mark of respect, his local village fete committee asked the Association to assist them to donate £300 to our sponsored charity, and Col Tabor presented the cheque to Wally Pitt, Yard Manager
of East Holton Driving Centre. The charity did quite well that night as a raffle for a weekend at the hotel raised some £427 too! Dancing, talking drinking, and at 1am there arrived the buses to return members to our ‘home’ the Savoy Hotel where strangely the bar was open and eventually closed with the assistance of Maj (Retd) Bill Clayton at 4am. Come the Sunday, and 130 members made a full weekend of it at the Savoy and enjoyed the somewhat quiet day and the entertainment provided by the hotel. The ‘chariot race’ promised by John Finnie and Dick Malinowski did not materialise – cries of flat batteries in wheelchairs were heard! All in all, a good weekend, and the Committee found it useful as a ‘dry run’ for the 25th Anniversary Dinner in 2006. December was soon upon 42 members and us assembled again on 18th December for the Christmas Lunch and the 24th Annual Draw. Turkey stuffed, potatoes potted, sprouts sliced and all saw members back into the Terrace Lounge and the draw commence with Mrs Sheila Brown drawing out the first winner; and Phil Fish, Ted Muff and Brigadier Andrew Parker Bowles were winners. All the above and the raffles, draws and balloon races would not be possible without a strong and active Committee to devise, plan and execute all with good humour and enthusiasm. We said our farewells to Jack Hadfield, Bert Keep and Derek Ellis in the year and that is sad, however, we look forward to our 25th anniversary year in 2006 bigger, stronger and with gusto.
News from the Associations
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