I know you will all join me in sending our most sincere condolences to Lady Lygo and the family. Sir Raymond was an inspiration to us all and he will be sorely missed.

As you are all aware, the above Memorial will be dedicated in the Cathedral at 1100 on the 18th. March 2012. The latest up-date from Jim Reed can be viewed here (PDF document). I would really appreciate the fullest support from all of you at this event, especially those within Hampshire & IOW, West Sussex, East Sussex, Surrey & Dorset. Our Standard Bearer Mick O’Keefe will be in the van and our ‘Soul mates’ from Ganges will also be in attendance. There is tea and ‘stickies’ available after the service in the Cathedral hall on the adjacent green. Please bring your ladies and families too.

What some of you may not know is that our association contributed £500 towards the costs of this memorial to Jim Reed, the man whose idea all this is. Jim is also an ex-St. Vincent Boy.

We have to provide numbers, so please let either Phil Allen or myself know by the 5th. of March if you are able to attend this important dedication. (Don’t decide to let us know the day beforehand.)

There’s more……….the Ganges Association has kindly invited our Members to their ‘club’ (The GI’s Club in Whale Island) afterwards for a beer, nibbles and a chat. So it couldn’t be a better time for us to meet and to get to know our ‘oppo-sition’.

NB: If you wish to go to Whale Island, please let Phil (Darby) Allen or myself know and provide the names of those attending and your car registration number. This will then allow entrance onto the Island and access to a safe car park opposite the venue. It can only cater for 100 people so first come first served, and with top brand beers at £2 per pint, this is a good opportunity for that pint and a chat you have always wanted with your ‘oppo’s’!!

We all look forward to seeing you there supporting this project.  It will be a day to remember.

Hope this finds you all well and coming out of hibernation!! Lots of things are happening and coming up quite quickly too. I thought I had share a few dates with you all for your diaries:-

Consecration of the WWII Boy Seamen memorial: 18th. March 2012 at 1100. Venue: Portsmouth Cathedral. Jim Reed (ex Vincent boy) is now an honorary member and it is he who has organised this. After the service (which will be part of the regular Sunday Eucharist) we can all congregate in the Hall adjacent to the Cathedral for some tea and a sticky bun. I am anticipating a contingent of about 50 from the Ganges Association so we of course would like to drum up members from their hidey holes, with your help of course!!. So any help will be appreciated. I shall be calling on the trusty Gosport bunch from here. After tea and stickies, for those who wish to, there will be beer and nibbles at the GI’s club on Whaley, our kind invitation is from our Ganges colleagues. The days routine is to muster at 1045 at the very latest.  I think it will be a very emotional day for our WWII Veterans and certainly a day to remember. So please spread the word.

Sods Opera Meeting: Tuesday 20th. March @ the Whaley Club. I had a long chat with Shep Woolley on Wednesday re the above and the 2012 Sods Opera. This meeting on the 20th. is partly their AGM and partly about the Sods Opera which Shep Woolley organises to raise monies for the RNBT and another Service charity. We need member ‘volunteers’ to join the choir (‘Windy’ Gale and myself have volunteered!!) and to demonstrate their prowess at delivering ditty’s, dirty dancing and reading poetry!! George Saunders gives a lot of time as indeed did our Philipee last year with his ‘It aint ‘arf ‘ot Mum’……you know Phil, can’t keep a good man down. So again we need members to join in. I think it could be a really successful union of the two Associations and who knows, the start of a combined effort in raising money for service men and women on an annual basis. If we can achieve that, it would be fantastic. This event will also be advertised on the website shortly.

Sunday 29th. July @ 1930: The Sods Opera Show at the Kings Theatre, Southsea. I’ve seen last year’s video and it’s a good crack. Including a few turns that even us oldies haven’t seen!!

Note: Those who wish to attend either meeting at Whaley, please let me have names and car registration numbers in order to book entrance through security. I can then pass these on to Shep Woolley.

Any queries on the above, please don’t hesitate to contact myself or Phil Allen.

Yours, Aye

Kenneth Cast
Chairman
HMS St. Vincent Association
www.hmsstvincentassoc.org

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