January 2002 SERVICE TO COMMEMORATE THE 80thANNIVERSARY OF THE RAF APPRENTICESHIP SCHEME A service to commemorate the 80th Anniversary of the RAF Apprenticeship scheme will be held at St Clement Danes, London, on Sunday 26th May 2002 starting at 1100hrs. This event is being organised under the auspices of the Federation of Apprentice and Boy Entrant Associations and all former Apprentices and Boy Entrants and their families are welcome to attend. Former brats who have remustered to vicar will officiate at the service during which the stone laid in the precincts of St Clement Danes in 1998 to commemorate the apprentice scheme will be re-dedicated. After the service, a reception will be held in the Great Hall of The Royal Courts of Justice, just a few yards from the church. Both events are open to members and their guests. Some of you may wish only to attend the service, but it is hoped that as many as possible will also attend the social event. Entry to the commemorative service is, of course, free, but admission to the reception will be by ticket only at a cost of £13 per head. At the reception a finger buffet, wine, soft drinks, tea and coffee will be served. If you want to attend the reception please apply to the office for tickets enclosing your cheque made payable to the HAAA, and an SAE. To give us some idea of the numbers attending the event overall it would be greatly appreciated if those intending only to attend the church service would let us know by phone, fax, e-mail, word of mouth or letter. Those living in the Andover area may wish to take advantage of a coach being organised by Tom Oliver of the Cranwell Apprentices Association leaving Andover George Street Car Park (free on Sundays) at 0800hrs and returning after the reception. Cost of the return trip will be in the region of £12 per head. Contact Tom on 01264-352843 for details. ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING 2002 The Annual General Meeting will be held on Saturday 25th May 2002 in Kermode Hall at RAF Halton starting at 1400hrs. The meeting will be preceded by the usual gathering in the Sgts' Mess at noon where a finger buffet will be served. The latter will cost £6 per head. Wives/partners may attend the buffet but not the AGM of course. However, whilst you are enjoying scintillating discussions at the AGM, your wives/partners can visit the museum and St Georges Church (where teas and light refreshments will be on sale). Attendance at the AGM without the buffet is, of course, free. Again for the numbers game would those opting for the latter let us know by any medium. WHY NOT MAKE A WEEKEND OF IT ? Here's an attractive suggestion for you. Why not come to the AGM on Saturday 25th May, stay in the local area for the night, perhaps with a mini entry reunion or even a large one, and then take the train from Wendover to London on Sunday 26th for the St Clement Danes service and the reception? Alternatively you could move on to London after the AGM and enjoy a night out in the city. Those wishing to take up this offer should include a single cheque to cover both events or parts thereof and total number in their party. SUBSCRIPTIONS DUE BY 31ST MARCH 2002 Many members are due to renew their subscriptions in March this year (please check your membership details to see if you are due). You may now pay by Standing Order at £8 per year. The SO forms can be downloaded from our website or may be obtained snail mail from the office. Alternatively, if you wish to pay by cheque, the three-year renewal is still available at £24, as is life membership at £80. Whichever option you intend to choose please do not let your membership lapse, as your name will be deleted from the database on 31st March and you will not receive any further copies of the Haltonian or the newsletter. CONTACTING THE OFFICE Our usual reminder that it would help the office staff enormously if correspondents, by whatever means, would mention their association number. This can be found on your membership card, the address label of this newsletter or on your magazine envelope. Please always let us know when you change your address, phone number, or e-mail address. OFFICE IT Please tell us if you have received this newsletter both by e-mail and by snail mail so that we may remove your address from the newsletter snail mail database. Would those who have not yet given us their e-mail address please send us a short note confirming that you would be content to receive the newsletter by e-mail in future. Several new features have recently been added to our website. It's well worth a look on: www.members.aol.com/haltonapps/halton.htm GIFT AID DECLARATION Our grateful thanks go to the 1000 or so members who have returned the Gift Aid Declaration included in the last copy of the Haltonian. This will enable us to claim back from the Treasury 28p for every £1 you have donated to the association in subscriptions or donations. Our Treasurer, Fred Crooks, 70th, will shortly set about preparing our claim. However, a 1000 returns out of a possible 4000 was disappointing. Many of you probably intended to return the form, but just did not get round to doing it or possibly misplaced it. If you would like another form please e-mail or phone the office. MERCHADISE We have introduced three new items: a new Xmas card, featuring the Tribute in the snow; a tea towel in full colour again featuring the Tribute, but surrounded by four separate sepia sketches of brats at work plus the school crest and wheel- a must for any kitchen or for tea towel collectors; and a new car sticker with gold lettering on a green background. As the Xmas card is undated it is now on offer for next season at the reduced price of £2 per pack of ten with envelopes or three packs for £5. This bargain will greatly reduce your Xmas card bill in 2002. Postage for one pack is 70p and £1 for two or more packs. The following merchandise is available by post or to personal callers at the office: Brass Wheel £2, Tie Tac £1.50, Wheel Motif £1:50, Assn Tie £6, Cuff Links Wheel Motif £10, Baseball Hat Green (School Colours. Wheel badge) £5, Sun Visors Red (Wheel badge) £2, Wire Blazer Badge - No 1 S of TT £8, Leather Key Fob with Brass Wheel £4, Cassette of Halton Bands (Reduced offer last few) £2:50, Tea Towel £4, Car Sticker £0:50. All items are on view at our website Postal and packing for the items above is 50p. All cheques to be made payable to the HAAA. VIDEO OF TRIENNIAL REUNION SEPTEMBER 2002 Gordon Taylor, 65th , has produced an excellent video of the 7th Triennial Reunion which includes the 2001 Cenotaph service. This can be obtained by writing to him directly at 14 Lanhydrock, Close, Heritage Park, Paignton, Devon, TQ3 3GP, or by phone 01803 525587, or e-mail appsair@hotmail.com He also has copies of the 5th Triennial (1995) and 6th (1998) (includes Trenchards Brats), the 80th Anniversary of RAF Halton, and the Lord Trenchard Window Dedication. Each video costs £10. REMEMBRANCE SERVICE - CENOTAPH 10th NOVEMBER 2002 Over 80 former brats, wearing an assortment of coloured hatbands paraded at the Cenotaph for the Remembrance service in November 2001. We managed to get a mention on the TV commentary, albeit an unsatisfactory one, but there was a good full frontal shot of one of our members looking ever so smug wearing his FS Cap with a red hatband to which he was not entitled (being ex 3 Wing)! This was our second appearance on this solemn but moving occasion. This year the ceremony will be held on Sunday 10th November. Those interested in attending are requested to let the office know soonest but at the latest by mid October 2002. ENTRY REUNIONS We have been notified of the following entry reunions for 2002. 58th Entry, Jarvis International Hotel, Solihull,3/4th May, contact David Alexander 01480 52927 62nd Entry, Holiday Inn, Aylesbury, 25/26th May, contact Bernard Levitt 01296 624297, 50th Anniversary of Passing Out. 63rd Entry, Four Pillars Hotel, Oxford, 26/27/28th July, contact Mike Smith, 01327 350663, 50th Anniversary of Passing Out. 71st Entry, Old Barn Hotel, Marston, Lincs, 26/29April,contact Peter Cunningham, 01526 833276 50th Anniversary of Joining. 76th Entry, Metropole Hotel, Llandrindod Wells, 5/6th October contact Roger Harvey 01608 810889 79th Entry, Elmbank Hotel, York, 26th October, contact Doug Marchant, 01952 460027 81st Entry, Dedication of Entry Window, St Georges Church, Halton, 12th May at 1200hrs, contact John Gornall 01296 748807. 82nd Entry, Belgrave Hotel, Torquay, 11th May, contact Jim Robson 218th Entry, Ramada Jarvis , Hemel Hempstead, 27th April , contact Laurie Singleton 01205 361890 223 Entry, Hanover International, Hinckley, contact Bob Rodham 0115 964245 93rd Entry, Bellhouse Hotel, Beaconsfield, 2nd August, contact Dennis Williams 01606 79286 or Colin Ferrier 01628 521168. 40th Anniversary of Passing Out. 153rd Entry, Calling for a Reunion in June 2002. Contact Lyndon Cunningham. STAINED GLASS WINDOWS Congratulations to the 86th Entry. The Whittle Window Appeal they launched in July 2001 has achieved its target. Chris Russ, who chairs the appeal committee, tells us that several entries and individuals responded both with cash and ideas. Many ex-brats have written to Chris about their personal reminiscences of Sir Frank. Reg Pritchard 52nd, our very own stained glass window artist, has come up with a stunning design which shows the front of a high-bypass fan. Expect to see this window in the church later this year. Bill Kelley, 55th, our esteemed Editor of the Haltonian, has launched an appeal for a Musicians Window. Bands of one breed or another were part and parcel of our life at Halton and quite rightly should be commemorated in the window gallery. Please send your cheques either directly to Bill or to the office, payable to the HAAA and marked 'Musicians appeal'. Only 25 vacant windows remain in the main gallery at St Georges. The 31st window will take up one of these when their window is fitted in late March, thus completing the 30 entry series. 85 windows are currently installed. Over 80 entries, including Technician, AET, Craft, Admin, and Mechanic Apprentices are yet to come. Book your window now while stocks last. ROTARY SHOE BOX SCHEME The Rotary Shoe Box Scheme aims to help charities which support deprived children. Essentially, you buy a box for a £1 from the Rotary Trustees of the scheme and fill it with anything from unwanted goods to money. Once filled you return the box to your local Rotary Club who will ensure delivery to the right charity. The Reverend Frank Hutchings, 71st, hopes to launch the scheme at the Lincoln Branch of the HAAA in February. Any ex- brats who wish to support the scheme, either individually or through their entry association or local HAAA branch, should contact Frank on 01529 307395 for full details. COASTAL COMMAND MEMORIAL A commemorative tribute is to be erected in Westminster Abbey to all who served in Coastal Command and its successive formations, including those from the Commonwealth and Allied Air Forces and others similarly engaged in overseas theatres of war and conflict. This will be in the form of a specially commissioned relief sculpture in the abbey cloister, a fitting salute also to mark the sacrifice of the 9000 and more who gave their lives in WW2. The aim is to unveil the tribute in 2003 to mark the 60th anniversary of the Battle of the Atlantic. We owe a debt to those who served with Coastal Command and who contributed so markedly to victory in 1945. Since then, with constancy, our maritime air forces have endeavoured successfully to safeguard freedom around the world; they continue to do so. Ex brats who wish to contribute to this worthwhile project are requested to send their donations to: The Treasurer, the Maritime Air Trust, PO BOX 251, Aylesbury, Bucks, HP21 7WE. Please make cheques payable to the 'Maritime Air Trust'. If you are a UK taxpayer, please add a dated note containing your address, and state 'I wish the enclosed donation of £…. and all donations I make hereafter to the Maritime Air Trust to be regarded as Gift Aid Donations. I will have an amount of income tax and/or capital gains tax at least equal to the tax to be reclaimed by the charity on my donation(s).' BOOKS BY EX BRATS Several ex brats have written books in recent years and a list of these, together with a short revue, price, and where they can be obtained will shortly appear on our website. There are two books that have recently come to our notice. Firstly, "Electronic Airborne Goldfish" by Air Cdre John Clements, 36th. A very interesting account of an ex-brat's experiences during WW2 test flying airborne electronic equipment. Obtainable from Paterchurch Publications, 6 Laws St, Pembroke Dock, Pembs, SA72 6DL. Price £10:95 including postage. Secondly, If Only Politicians Had Brains by Terence P O'Halloran 94th Entry. His earlier published works were of a technical nature. In this work he gives a highly personal view on how the country is being governed by our politicians and bureaucrats. Obtainable from Life Publications Ltd, St James Terrace, 88 Newland, Lincoln, LN1 1YA. Price £18.00 including postage.