Just got back from a meeting organised by our man Kev at Endon in Stoke on Trent.
A well attended, well organised meet with lots of friendly, knowledgeable people taking a great deal of trouble.
An informative and well presented talk by Chris Baker too!
Congratulations Kev and team-lets hope this is the first of many meets!
And a personal thanks to Kev- a man who goes above and beyond the call of duty- a true gent..Thank you.
This Forum is something....the people who make it... something else!

Thanks again Kev.. I wont forget it!
Ivan

Totally agree Ivan,
The Buffet was nice as well,so thank you to Mrs Kevin and Helpers.
Pity,there was not many "A" Level Students in the audience,Chris' presentation would have assisted them greatly if WW1 Economics was a possible question in a future Exam.
George

you're right George!
The Oatcakes especially mate!! LOL

Excellent evening. Nice to see folk.

John

I couldn't agree more. It was a very enjoyable and informative evening, not only through Chris' excellent talk but through the people manning the stalls. Kevin deserves a very large pat on the back, along with all his helpmates.

Keith

Great Evening!!! Nice to meet up with old forum pals and to meet others for the first time.

Well done Kev.

Regards Doug.

Indeed a very good evening.

Neil

We've just arrived home. A very enjoyable evening and a thought provoking presentation by Chris.

Thanks to all, and especially to Kevin for all of the work putting it together.

Ken

Well done Kev and your band of helpers. Thanbks for asking us along
Tony

Very good evening, thank you to Kevin for organising it all and to all those who helped, thanks to Chris Baker for a very interesting talk I enjoyed it.

It was good to catch up with a one or two forum members who I havn't seen for a couple of years.

Finally thanks to Neil for driving us there.

Cheers

Stephen

First chance I've had to post thanks to Kevin and helpers.

No. 1's talk was very thought provoking and made the evening all the more enjoyable.

Roy

I'd like to add my thanks and congratulations to Kevin for organising this event. It was great to see so many GWF 'names' there, and to put faces to many who had hitherto just been names. It was terrific to see so many British Legion people and others coming along, too. The displays, catering and the whole thing was just great. Well done that man. A terrific spin off from the online Forum into the physical Forum.

Blimey I even got to explain to a Belgian lady how the flooding of the Yser worked. Not something you do every day.

Hi all,

I just want to add my congratulations to Kevin and all his helpers for their efforts in making a good evening.

Good to catch up with some old and new faces who up until now have been just names (Chris Baker and Ivan in particular)

Particular mention must go to Kevin's wife and mother in law for the excellent buffet, his son Nathan for standing out in the cold wearing a flourescent jacket and holding a sign pointing towards the scout hut for a couple of hours and his other son Josh for tidying up all that chocolate cake which was left lying around and of course Kev himself for pulling it all together.

Well done again


Liam

Thank you pals but I did the easy bit so I don't deserve the credits, all I did was book Chris, the hall and printed tickets and posters, the rest was done by all those who attended and set up tables, they deserve the credit for making it such an unforgettable night. I can't thank those who set up displays enough, with Chris's talk, the tabled displays, the buffet and pals helping out with chairs etc. it made the night. So to all of you who were there give yourselves a huge pat on the back, you deserve it more than me.

The evening was originally in two parts, with the profits from the evening taking a forum member to the Somme who had never been before but I was asked not to publicise that part on the original thread because of contravening advertising rules.

There was a forum member in the hall who lost their job either just before or just after Christmas, they have never been to the Somme before and are struggling to find a new place of work. His/her name shall remain anonymous but I can think of no better candidate for the free trip to the Somme for the 1st July. I just hope their passport is in order.

Once again thank you to everyone who made the night that extra bit special. I would have replied earlier but I have spent all day up at the hospital as Doug II was rushed in during the night suffering from cronic pain due to kidney stones. I wish him a speedy recovery.

Kevin

Kevin, give my best wishes to Doug and hope he is OK?
Tony

A great evening Kev. Best to Doug II.

Best wishes to Doug, hope to see him on the 7th.

Roy

Please pass on my best wishes to Doug II

He needs to be fit for his trip in a few weeks


Liam

Any news of DougII?
Let's hope he's back home and supping a few brews...

Ivan.

Best wishes for a speedy recovery for Doug eye eye, Kevin any news yet?

Stephen

I will nip up to the hospital around 7pm to see how he is and to pass on your concerns.

K

Many thanks to Kevin for a great evening.

And Chris's talk was extraordinarily well judged: in the dire economic situation we find ourselves at present it was bang on the mark.

Tom

It was nice to put faces to names. I am glad you enjoyed the evening Tom. With Chris's talk I was also unaware as to how close financially we were to losing the war or had it been that the war was to carry on another year how bankrupt the country would hae been.

On the Doug front he is being released without charge sometime this evening. I will let him tell you the story if he is up to it later.

Kevin

Cheers Kev.

Hi all

Just like to say a big thanks for all your thoughts and kind words,now back on track.

Big thanks to my mate Kev for all his help.

Cheers Lads and thanks again

Regards Doug

Doug

Glad to see that you are out and mobile.

Regards

Stephen

Good to hear you are up and about Doug


Liam

The profits from the evening have just take a forum member to the Western Front for the first time in his life. A member of the cloth from Wales he had the time of his life. No doubt photos from the trip which included 4 forum members will be posted here. It was nice to bump into quite a few forum members out there over the last couple of days. What I did notice that every one of them had a red glow around their faces, arms and legs, it was a tad too hot, even the band members at Newfoundland Park were passing out yesterday afternoon.

Kevin

Liam,
you've misquoted my nom-de-plume! It's LST_164!

This is Guards' cemetery, Lesboeufs at sunset on 30 June. Row of Grenadier Guards casualties from the action on 25 September 1916. More to follow

Click to view attachment

Clive

The parade to the Newfoundland Memorial on 1 July

Click to view attachment

LST_164

View from edge of Thiepval Wood 30 June, over the axis of the attack on 1 July 1916 by the right flank of the 36th Division and the Salford Pals of 32nd Division.

Click to view attachment

LST_164

Sorry Clive - must do better next time!

Will get those couple of photos to you shortly



Liam

Tyne Cot Cemetery, 29 June

Click to view attachment