Guild AGM
Secretary writes:
The Guild AGM weekend will be held at Highgate House
Northampton between the 29th and 31st January 2016. All members and associate
members are invited. An application form to book your accommodation
requirements is attached.
The Guild AGM will be held on the afternoon of Saturday 30th
and formal notification of this will follow.
The final details of the programme for the weekend are in
the process of being prepared and will be put up on the website in due course.
However one element will be a Naseby battlefield walk which will be held on the
afternoon of Friday 29th. It would be useful if members interested in
participating in this would indicate that on the application form at this
stage.
Payment for the weekend can be made by cheque (made payable
to the Guild of Battlefield Guides) or bank transfer (if using this method
please let me know when you have paid and reference the payment so that I can
identify it). Payment must be made before 31st December 201
Will Townend Award
Nominations
Mike Peters writes:
The AGM is on the horizon and as is customary we will be
accepting members nominations for the Will Townend Award. The criteria for the
award can be found on our website:
The Will Townend Memorial Award commemorates the unselfish
contribution made to the GBG by the late Will Townend. The trophy was donated
to the GBG by Will’s fellow Battlefield Guides at Anglia Tours.
Award Ethos The award honours the memory of the late Will
Townend, in particular his willingness to share his extensive technical
knowledge of Artillery and his wider knowledge of battlefields in general with
his fellow Battlefield Guides.
It is also intended that those nominated for the award will
be recognised as selfless members of the GBG who freely and unselfishly share
their knowledge with their peers.
Qualification Period & Criteria The Will Townend Award
is an annual award that will be presented retrospectively in recognition of
conduct over the preceding year. This award is restricted to GBG members. All
categories of GBG Membership are eligible to be nominated for this award.
Voting Procedure Prior to the AGM, usually in the early
Autumn, the Secretary will call upon the Membership (of all categories) to
nominate for the Award.
All members of all categories will then have the
opportunity to vote on a one member, one vote basis.
The winner of the Award will be the nominee, who polls more
votes than any other nominee, regardless of whether that constitutes a majority
of all votes cast.
The numbers of votes cast for individual nominees or in
total will not be revealed.
Whenever practicable the award is to be presented at the GBG
AGM.
Please take the time to nominate a fellow member who has
helped you in the past 12 months.
Members are asked to nominate a single fellow member to the
Secretary by 31 Dec 15
Despatches Magazine
December Issue
Mike Peters writes:
The next issue of Despatches will go to print in December,
members are asked to submit pictures of themselves or fellow guides working out
on the battlefields - not too many headstones please! Please send images to
Tony Smith by 30 Oct 15.
Return of Guild Awards
Mike Peters writes:
Members holding Guild Awards are asked to contact Tony Smith
to arrange the return/collection of Guild Awards by 30 Oct 15. We need the
awards returned to the Council by 31 Dec 15 in order to complete engraving for
the AGM at Naseby.
Guild Recces
Secretary writes:
It is with regret that we have to announce that Ian Mitchell
has decided that the organisation of next year’s battlefield recce will be his
last. Ian has devoted much time and effort to developing a series of recces
which have been extremely well received by the members that have attended them
over the last five years. He now feels that it is time to hand over the baton
to someone else who can bring a fresh perspective and new energy to the task.
The Council would like to publically thank Ian for all the
hard work he has put into the programme and I am sure all the members that have
benefitted from the recces will second that wholeheartedly.
We now need someone to step into Ian's shoes and take over
the organisation. If you are interested please let me know.
Guild Christmas Lunch
Andy Thompson writes:
Guild Christmas Lunch Friday December 4th
Any more for the Christmas lunch?
Union Jack Club Sandell Street Cost £35 for a four course
lunch & port.
Please contact Andy Thompson info@eyewitnesstours.com to book
your place.
Nga Tapuwae New Zealand
First World War Trails
Mike Peters writes:
I have received the following which may be of interest to
members:
Firstly I would like to introduce myself, my name is Clare
and I am the Senior Communications and Engagement Adviser for New Zealand’s
First World War Centenary programme – WW100.
The WW100 programme is a cross government initiative that
acts as a shared identity for New Zealand’s First World War centenary projects
and activities that range from official state ceremonies and legacy projects to
community initiatives and personal projects.
I thought you may be interested in one of WW100’s legacy
projects – Ngā Tapuwae New Zealand First World War Trails. The trails guide you
through historic landscapes and sites of the First World War while using
narrative to lead you through New Zealand’s First World War story. Captivating
audio guides, soldiers’ personal stories and historical insights help you to
explore Gallipoli and discover the Western Front. The trails are designed for
both the traveller who would like to navigate the trails on the ground, and
also as an informative guide for those who would like to explore from home.
There are three ways that you can take the trails: download the smartphone or
tablet apps (Nga Tapuwae Gallipoli and Nga Tapuwae Western Front), explore the
trails on your computer, or print off the paper guides. We see the trails as an
added extension for any battlefield guide or tour group—the resource will help
to enrich their customers’ experiences, particularly those from New Zealand.
The added bonus is that the trails are free to use and once the apps are
downloaded there are no roaming charges incurred.
For more information about the trails, please visit our
Facebook page - https://www.facebook.com/NgaTapuwaeNZ
and I have also attached our brochures. To get a preview of the trails, you can
explore them both online – preview Gallipoli or preview the Western Front. For
the full trails experience (includes all personal stories and articles) it’s
best to download the apps.
Annual Closure of the
Fromelles Museum
Andy Thompson writes:
The Battle of Fromelles Museum will be closed from 25th
December 2015 to 3rd January 2016, and the 25th January 2016 to 16th February
2016, inclusive
Preston 1715 - the last
battle on English soil
Frank Baldwin writes:
"Battles of the 1715 Jacobite Rebellion” by Dr Jonathan
Oates
A lecture and sandwich lunch
12.30-2.00pm Wednesday 11th November 2015
Hosted by The Fusiliers Museum London in the Officer's Mess
of The Royal Regiment of Fusiliers HM Tower of London.
On the 300th anniversary of the battles of Preston and
Sheriffmuir which took place in November 1715. Dr Oates will focus on the
Battle of Preston in 1715; the Last Battle on English Soil.
The anniversary of this important challenge to the
Hanoverian succession has been overlooked, but should be marked. Join us for a
lecture and a sandwich and raise a glass of wine to the protestant succession
or the king over the water! It is appropriate to hold the lecture close to
where the ringleaders were executed, though two managed to escape from the
Tower.
Dr Oates has had a strong interest in the Jacobite
rebellions since his school days. This resulted in an undergraduate thesis
considering Newcastle and the 1715 rebellion and a PhD thesis a decade later
about the responses in the north eastern counties of England to the '15 and the
'45. He has written over 30 articles about the topic, as well as four books:
The Jacobite Invasion of England of 1745 (2006), Sweet William or the Butcher
(2008), The Jacobite Campaigns (2011) and The Last Battle on English Soil
(2015) as well as editing a memoir of a Scottish officer during the '45.
Currently he is working on a volume of the Duke of Cumberland's letters for
publication by the Army Records Society and a book about the battle of
Sheriffmuir.
Our hosts will be the Fusiliers Museum and the event
includes a sandwich lunch a glass of wine and the opportunity to network in the
exclusive surroundings of the Fusiliers mess in HM Tower of London. If you
would like to attend this lunchtime talk, please make a donation of £25 for
each attendee (£20 for members of the Battlefields Trust) and email your name,
contact number and any special requirements (dietary/mobility) to helen@battlefieldstrust.org On
receipt, email confirmation will be sent together with directions to the venue.
If you have any questions, please ring 0207 387 6620. We look forward to
welcoming you.
In order for you to be receive a pass allowing you access to
the RRF Building inside the Tower of London and be included in the catering you
must book at least 48 hours before the event.
Donating through JustGiving is simple, fast and totally
secure. Your details are safe with JustGiving – they’ll never sell them on or
send unwanted emails. Once you donate, they’ll send your money directly to the
charity. So it’s the most efficient way to donate – saving time and cutting
costs for the charity.
Napoleonic Events
Suzanne Brunt writes:
Below is the lastest list of Napoleonic events:
13 Nov at noon at The Hampstead and Highgate
Literary Festival at South Hampstead High School, Andrew Roberts talks on Napoleon.
£12.50/£10 book on 020 7998
8293 info@artzy.org.uk
18 Nov 1930 Central Hall, High St,
Chatham Kent
The Band of the Corps of Royal Engineers Concert
with The Brompton Military Wives
Choir for Help For Heroes.
boxoffice@medway.gov.uk
01634 338338 or on the door.
21 Nov 0945-1630 York Army Museum, Tower St,
York YO1 9SB WATERLOO DAY with John Morewood, Andrew Bamford,
33rd Foot Re-enactors and a Royal Armouries speaker.
Tickets £10 or £20 to include lunch.
book on 01653 696734 paulbrunyee@btinternet.com
08 Dec York Army Museum as
above
Mick Crumplin speaks on Waterloo
01904 461014 to book.
26 Nov 1930 Stapleford Granary, Bury Rd,
Cambridge CB22 5BP
Nick Lipscombe speaks on
Waterloo 01223 849004
28 Nov from early morning, ELVAS
BAZAAR, Portugal
to support The Friends of the British Cemetery in Elvas.
Held in the Praca d Sancho II close to the Elvas
aquaduct.
05+06 Dec Austerlitz Weekend
and two ongoing exhibitions not mentioned before
until 13 Dec Herschel Museum of Astronomy, New King
St, Bath BA1 2BL
Waterloo and the March of
Science 01225 446865
http;//herschelmuseum.org.uk/
until 02 Jan 2016 Royal Cornwall Museum, Truro TR1 2SJ
exhibition on the life of Major General Sir Hussey Vivian.
www.royalcornwallmuseum.org.uk
01872 272205
Elsie Knocker and Mairi
Chisholm
Tony & Valmai Holt write:
Good to read John Richardson’s account of the Edith Cavell
remembrance ceremony on 12 October and to see and hear all the coverage in the
media of this exceptional woman.
Another two heroines of WW1 - ‘The Two at Pervyse’
(Elsie Knocker and Mairi Chisholm) - are commemorated by a statue of them and
their dog ‘Shot’ in the Garden of the Ariane Hotel in Ieper.
The author of an excellent biography of them, Diane
Atkinson, who initiated the statue, and the sculptress, Josiane
Vanhoutte, will be giving a talk at the Ariane on 21 November at 1800. If
you are interested contact Natasja at office@ariane.be
New Flights to the
Battlefields
Secretary writes:
Members may be interested in the following:
I thought I should contact you in order to get information
out to your members.
VLM Airlines are operating flights from both Birmingham and
Southampton to Antwerp which makes it easy for any of your members to meet
groups going to the WW1 battlefields, we can also offer group rates to any of
your members who wish to arrange bespoke small groups.
Please let me know if there is anything I can help you with.
I shall be attending WTM so please feel free to call onto our stand
VisitFlanders 1400
Colin Oakley
Business Consultant
VLM-Airlines
UK & Ireland
International Airport Antwerp
Airport Building, PO Box 50
B-2100 Antwerp
Belgium
Tel.ANR: +32
(0) 3 285 6868
Mobile UK: +44 (0) 7525 126333
Email : colin.oakley@vlmairlines.com
Website : www.flyvlm.com
Best Regards
Tony Smith
Guild Secretary
Posts
