Recent changes.

6th January 2015 When we joined as apprentices in 1956, the now defence minister Anna Soubry, MP, was born. She has no first hand knowledge of what the war was like or the sacrifices made by "The Few" and probably does not care that because of them she is speaking English and not German. Sadly Biggin Hill St George’s Commemorative Chapel closure story is true and even worse, one that Minister of State for Defence, Anna Soubry has gone out of her way to defend. The hapless or should that be callous minister who has only been in the House of Commons since 2010 says of the decision to close the chapel in 2016 that spending £50,000 a year on keeping it open is “inappropriate use of defence resources”. If you disagree there is a e-petition open at https://submissions.epetitions.direct.gov.uk/petitions/73191/signature/new

9th March 2015 The following may be of interest to one or two of our entry. Did you serve in Cyprus 1963-64 ?
Following The Sir John Holmes Independent Medal Review the government has announced that a new clasp has been given approval.
Those servicemen who served in Cyprus during the period 21 December 1963 to 26 March 1964 will be awarded the General Service Medal (1962) with clasp ‘Cyprus 1963-64’. Applications are being accepted WEF 1st March 2015, and will be assessed and dealt with in a strict date order.

How can I put this? Do you fancy sitting/ lying on a bed for 24 hours a day ? You can hear the sounds people are making when they come to visit you, but you cannot answer as you used to. You cannot move or make any gesture to acknowledge that you have heard or seen someone. As young guys we had no real fears, we were trained to carry out tasks we had never heard of, and carried out those tasks during our service careers and beyond, but no-one plans for the actions that nature deals out. Earthquakes, sunamis, and floods affect hundreds, however we rarely know those involved, but strokes incapacitate individuals, and this is what happened to one of our own. John Cliffe has suffered one of these devastating strokes leaving him completely incapacitated. So what can we do for him? Cards from entry members and people who knew him will no doubt exercise his mind, but please no "Get Well" cards, according to the powers that be, this is not going to happen. I sent an email out in November 2014 to all 84th on my list, a total of 130 guys, I am more than disapointed that the request only resulted in 8 cards. Perhaps this narrative will result in ex brats other than our own entry finding out what has happened to John, maybe even coming up with ideas to exercise or calm his mind.

18th March 2015 Some pillock forgot to put the address where John is now residing, it is:- Mr. J.A. Cliffe
Lilycross Nursing Home
Wilmere Lane
Widnes
Cheshire
WA8 5UY

Sorry guys.

29th April 2015 Sadly another member of our entry has left us. Terry Keen died in Australia on 29th April this year.

May I remind you that the 2015 reunion on 17th July is fast approaching and John is getting nervous about the lack of numbers. If you intend coming to Telford, please contact John and pays yore muni.

26th August 2015
Well I finally got around to sorting and making the pages for the recent reunion, (I say recent, was it really 6 weeks ago?). All the pages should have uploaded at the same time as this addendum.
Due to difficult circumstances, John Cliff has changed his address. It is now :-
Mr. J.A. Cliffe
Mill Brow Care Home,
Mill Brow,
Widnes,
Cheshire.
WA8 6QT.

1st September 2015
Fred Munson changed their email address, and Les Phillips has reinstated his email. See the contacts page for details.

END