Just thinking - this may be useful if any members are heading to the Spectrum Centre next week. Business card size, do the Blue Peter bit, print out paste onto a bit of card, stick a safety pin through it and Robert's your Auntie's bruvver. Just having a bit of fun!

Maybe we could produce a badge for the GWF Northern Ireland section.


Regards,

Phil

Don't think it would be cost effective Phil. Besides, the design above is a rip-off of various designs already lurking around the forum .. I just knocked this business card idea up so punters would know each other on the day!

Des

after seeing some of the uv stuff last night i'll be easy enough to spot opened mouthed by the UV stall.

Good idea Des.

Now, where's my double sides cellotape?

Well I'll spot you, Des. Do you know any of the others? I'll not be wearing a white carnation.....

What about a secret GWF handshake?

Peter

Can you get a cup of tea, etc in the Spectrum Centre, I'll probably be bringing my father and I know what it'll be....



Peter

yes there a cafe in the center or a greasy spoon across the street...and 3 bars within 100 yards!

Thanks for the info Mark, though I doubt if I'd get him into a bar.


Peter

Des,

Print me some money and I'll come!
Nothing to spend otherwise.

Cheers,

Nigel

Where did you see it Mark? Is there a catalogue or other details online?

I tried the website but kept getting a 404 error

Here's the deal troops .. those who wish to be known can meet at the Somme Exhibition 'bit' .. name a time. I intend to be up there for 10am and staying for a fair while. Depending on quality of local fry(s) and (I hope) pints.

Des

called to one of the collectors houses to do a bit of research.

Des et al

I have just negotiated with "she who must be obeyed" that I will be unavailable "all" day Saturday to undertake the usual weekend duties, so an early morning fry and a pint later sounds good to me. If any of you are wondering how I managed this let's just say I haven't bought a book in over two months and she also owed me big time. See you all Saturday.

Regards, Tommy.

Would 11.00am be the significant time?

There's a rumour that one of the local churches might allow parking in its grounds.



Peter

I should be there and calorifically sustained by that time ....

Really looking forward to this event.
I aim to be there early too. I'll be sporting my Des designed NI GWF section I.D. and pretty snazzy looking it is too.
Printed out credit card size and stuck to the back of an old CC sized telephone card and placed in one of those plastic ID folders I got during a visit to proni.

One is highly impressed!

I WILL HAVE TO GET MY SKATES ON LADS, I HAVE NOT GOT MY BADGE READY AS I AM GETTING READY FOR HOSPITAL ON SUNDAY. ( WHERE IS MY STICKIE TAPE..LOL)

REGARDS,

PHIL

Well, here are some of the beautiful GWF members who made it to the event....

Click to view attachment

Well done lads.

Peter, will you do the introductions, left to right please?

Cheers,

Nigel

TommyMcClimmonds, Ulsterlad2, Pietro, Desmond7, RobElliot

Thanks very much.

Well, not sure "beautiful" is the word that comes to mind!

Hope you had a great time

Alan

You've heard of Boyzone? This is Boys-oh!

Great day topped off with the Belfast WW1 tour courtesy of markinbelfast.

Des (gawd could ye not have picked a better one? Is there a better one? Am I really turning into a potato?)

Aaaaarghhhhhh!

That is the good one!

Was great to meet you guys.

thought the fair was excellant....great to finally meet up...already looking for the next (car free) meet up!..in the meantime...

Rob E
I never said thanks for the coffee and the biscuit.

Des
When's the next big meet!!!

Mark
Great Fair and lots to see, even if I couldn't afford much. I did get a couple of postcards, one of which I have been looking for a considerable time. Big thanks for the tour by the way, there is no doubt you could make money as a tour guide. I already hear on the grapevine that because today was such a success they are thinking of holding another one perhaps early next year - keep us posted?

Pietro
Regards to your Dad, tell him to enjoy Blackskull, and don't worry to much about us being related!

Regards, Tommy.

Thank Gawd I am looking semi-normal again.

PMs will be sent .. the No 1 Platoon, GWF (NI) Section (Service Btn) has been formed ...

One more thing - check Pietro's avatar .. check him .. take (apologies) a coupla years off .... somebody morph that with photoshop!

As for fair - I have never seen as muchh community history pulled together. Was there at 10.15am .. place was BUNGED.

V. impressed with pre-war stuff but some great displays as well. Good venue.

Des

Pete - yer da is to photography what I am to particle physics!

And don't say the camera never lies ....

Des I was there at 3pm and it still was packed with people. Sorry to miss all the pals but I was looking for the badges. I also found out about the piece of art work on the peace line and was told the death penny was from East Belfast.....
Great day out and I had a nice meal across the road and the local beer was delightful.
Hope to meet all the Northern Pals soon.

Regards,

Phil

Well it's me Granda! At least I don't look like the milkman.....

If one of my students had done the photo, it would have been perfect and flattering. Old dogs, new tricks, sow's ears and silk purses.

Peter

Lads,

Have to say the day was brilliant, even meeting you guys!
The exhibition was easily the best i've been to for our interests.
Like to thank Tommy for getting me the book 'Journey of remembering' and a special thanks to Mark for the Friday afternoon tour he gave me around the sites, top man!

Had a good day buying bits and pieces and a very strange thing happened.
Last year i was contacted by a lady in England looking for info on her Londonderry family, specifically her grandfather and his sons who served.
On Saturday i bought a UVF lapel badge off a dealer i didn't know, but realised it was for 'Derry City' by the prefix 'I'.
When i got home and checked it on the UVF rolls it turned out it was only this lady's grandfather's.
Whats the odds of that?
Anyway got hold of my cousin as he's a friend the family in Londonderry so i can get it back to them.

Pietro, you ever heard of a guy called Alex Stiff in Australia, connection to the 13th RIR?

This won't be a one off, was far too successful. So look forward to meeting up with youse lot again.

Rob

Hi Rob,

Sure was a good show.

I don't know Alex Stiff, but I'm not a big networker anyway!


Peter

Rob - have some good 36 RE stuff for you ... send a tester to my 'work' e-mail (same as last time) .. managed to dump yours by mistake ..

Mr. Ramsey - you really do need to use your undoubted technical skills and do the 'laid back' cemtery tour for You Tube!!

Ulsterlad .... dead sneaky move in the greasy spoon .. THANKS!

Tommy ... get the head down and get the job sorted! I'm one to talk.

And everybody .. keep in touch about events which could be 'handy' for a meet. Perhaps the NI Section can really take off.

Des

Sorry I missed this one lads, Do you take Donegal men? Not NI but definitely Northern!

The Inishowen Friends of Messine are organising the 5th Annual Remembrance Ceremony for the fallen of World War 1 on Sunday June 28th at 2.30 in Fort Dunree, just outside Buncrana.

This service is regularly attended by 300-450 people from all across the North West.

This year there will again be a bus organised through the RBL Waterside Branch and as far as I know there will be buses running from Belfast but I don’t have the details on that yet.

Fort Dunree has its own website that you can google and it’s a fascinating place for both history buffs and people interested in World War 1. For an Antrim angle, when the war was declared in August 1914 the Dunree garrison was reinforced by men from the Antrim RGA!

I’m sure I’m not the only GWF member in the North West and I’d like to extend a warm invitation to all of you to join us here in Dunree on the 28th. The ceremony is enhanced every year by the presence of both the Buncrana Accordion Band and the Tullintrain Pipe Band from Co Derry/Londonderry and the standards of many RBL, RNA, RAFA branches and other organisations such as the Connaught Rangers Association and the Inniskilling Fusiliers Association have also joined us over the years.

A light meal will be served to everyone who travels on the day and our local bar The Laurentic (another WW1 connection there!) will again provide a ‘wet canteen’ in the Fort after the solemn ceremonies are over.

Anyone who wants to come and needs a bit more info, please pm me here and I’ll get straight back to you.

I'd be delighted to meet other members of the Forum at this event and have a few jars afterwards!

Don't know how the rest feel but, for me, I'd welcome any and all Irishmen. Even the ones from Donegal.

Now, where's me helmet.

I'd love to go to the ceremony but I'm due to work that whole weekend.

Re: Inishowen's post about Dunree

I've been to Dunree (and at the Wellington crash site nearby but that's another story) and it's an absolutely fantastic museum. Everything from the guns right down to the razor blades that the men stationed there used (er, unused ones still in the blue paper if you know what I mean). It has to be one of the most complete collections I've ever seen.

Don't know yet if I can make it on the 28th but I'll certainly try to be there.

Any thoughts folks? I would give this a go if anyone else was heading.

Des

Des

Boss say's I'm free on 28th, if you've got a Sat Nav I'll drive.

Regards, Tommy.

PM you with number to try and sort - Sat Nav!? Google maps!

Des/Tommy,

It's dead easy to find, head to Buncrana and it's sign posted from there. If you call into Bord Failte (sic?) or the petrol station on the right as you enter Buncrana, given that it's a Sunday and the Touist Office might be closed, they'll give you directions just in case.

(From Ballymena, head for the new bridge (turn right at the Caw Roundabout as you head into Stroke City). Once across the bridge, turn left at the Culmore Roundabout, along Cullmore Road until you reach the Pennyburn Roundabout where you turn right and head straight out the A2 Buncrana Road. After Bridgend, turn right onto the R238 through Burnfoot, Fahan and that'll take you to Buncrana.)

If you're still not sure and if you want, I can lend you my Sat Nav and I think I have an OSI map of the area as well I can lend you - I know where I'm going so I won't need them (if I'm able to go).


Inishowen,

Do you know, are both forts (upper and lower) going to be open to the public?

Hi PGL,

Both Forts are open to the public and thanks to some remedial works done last year there are two good walkways up to the upper fort. I dont know how long its been since you were there but there is now also a permanent display of Irish and international militaria on show in the fort called the Rockhill Collection which came from the now closed Rockhill Barracks in Letterkenny.

Its also easier to get here now as the new bypass has been opened around Derry/Londonderry so when you come over the bridge you go straight through the roundabout (2nd exit) and straight through the next roundabout (2nd exit) the whole way around the city till you get to the Buncrana road at Coshquin.

On the 28th we are planning to put up temporary sinage at Buncrana to help first time visitors.

I am in delicate negotiations with the MD of the family firm. More later!

It's been about 3 years since I was at Dunree so I missed the Rockhill Collection. I've been to both forts but work was just starting on the upper one. One of the staff let me go up and take a walk around anyway. As it turned out, it was even better in it's slightly 'derelict' state, there's just some sort of an atmosphere or (hesitate to say it) 'presence' about the place. The displays at the lower fort were just fantastic, as I said and I'll say it again, the most complete collection I've yet seen. Apart from the military side of things, there are also some fantastic views of Lough Swilly and then climbing/hill walking the Urris Hills and looking back towards Dunree as the sun starts to rise is a sight I'll never forget. Then sitting in the heather, taking in all the contrasting colours of the deep blue sea, grey rock, purple heather and the pale green ferns as they were just starting to unfurl and remembering the young men who died in the Wellington crash. Quite a day.

The only drawback was having to wade that beach to get back from the hills to the car when the tide rolled in!

It'd be good to get back.

I was invited to attend Inishowen last year after attending the Battle of Messines remembrance parade in Wijtschate and Messines with the fellowship. But was not able to attend due to ill health. They are all a great bunch of people and have a great knowledge into the Great War and they can do some drinking........lol. I am sure everyone attending will get a warm welcome. I hope to attend next year, God willing.


Regards,

Phil

Inishowen - any info for us on a cheap B&B - I would consider driving down the day before and going out for a wee bite and a jar prior to event - need to have a clear head for the Monday.

IF we could work a deal I'll put my name down to go.

Say Yeah or nay folks .. and if we get a day like today it'd be brilliant.


Des