News & Events

 

 

A grand finale for the 90th Anniversary Fundraising efforts took place on Wednesday afternoon at the Sid Valley Hotel by kind permission of Stephen and Sarah Hills Ingyon.

An interesting professional afternoon's entertainment was provided by the former Black and White Minstrel Raymond Budd, depicting his life story having left school at the age of 14.

From a very early age he discovered his very gifted singing ability nurtured in Church Choirs.  After being an Air cadet (ATC) he joined the Navy and was involved in the Korean War.

After leaving the Navy his magnificent singing tenor voice was now much sought after, soon becoming a Black and White Minstrel.  We were privileged to hear the music and his beautiful voice. After being thanked he received a well deserved standing ovation.

Valerie Hull - Hon. Branch Secretary, Sidbury and Sidford Branch Royal British Legion

An interesting professional afternoon's entertainment was provided by the former Black and White Minstrel Raymond Budd, depicting his life story having left school at the age of 14.

From a very early age he discovered his very gifted singing ability nurtured in Church Choirs.  After being an Air cadet (ATC) he joined the Navy and was involved in the Korean War.

After leaving the Navy his magnificent singing tenor voice was now much sought after, soon becoming a Black and White Minstrel.  We were privileged to hear the music and his beautiful voice. After being thanked he received a well deserved standing ovation.

Valerie Hull - Hon. Branch Secretary, Sidbury and Sidford Branch Royal British Legion

 

The Met Office, Exeter.  A very educational and professional lecture

was enjoyed by a small group of Members.  It was the third visit for some

but will more to learn and experience!

 

The very  successful 90^th Anniversary 90 minute sponsorship walk for 90 year olds took place last Friday 8^th July, walking along Sidmouth Promenade.  The windy weather conditions proved to be an extra challenge.

The walkers taking part were Nancy Bowstead, (whose idea this was), Ron Way, Paula Lyster, Gerry Crocker (as previously reported who carried the Olympic Torch in 1948) and Bill Maeer, joined by RBL Members and Supporters.  Before the Walk was started by the Devon County RBL Chairman Ralph Howard-Williams, Nancy Bowstead made a speech.  This speech was written in Wonford Orthopaedic Hospital on 26^th January when Nancy, hospitalised was recovering from a broken hip.  The Branch Secretary Valerie Hull was handed the transcript after the walk, which reads as follows -

  "People of Sidbury, Sidford and Sidmouth and Devon and the British Isles.  I stand before you a fragile and ageing woman but inside (hand on heart) there is a spirit of a fighting man.   The Royal British Legion in its 90^th Year is striving to raise ninety million pounds to help men and women of the Armed Forces of all the wars, their dependants with housing, employment, food, light, heat, the basic requirements of life.

I ask you to dig deep in your pockets, your wallets, your handbags and your purses and show them (group of men and women) that you care as the Sidbury and Sidford Branch and the Sidmouth Branch showed me that they cared."

  The County Chairman thanked everyone for their support and congratulated the walkers.  The Branch hopes to  exceed their target of £900, to be added to the Sidbury and Sidford Branch 90^th Anniversary Fund. 

Nancy Bowstead has also knitted £90 articles to be sold for £1 each at the 90^th Anniversary Coffee Morning on Saturday 23^rd July.  The Branch hopes to have good support at this event.

  The unveiling of the Memorial Plaque  by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Devon, Sir John Cave Bt DL, took place on Sunday 19th June 2011 at St Giles' Church, Sidbury,   honouring both Louis John Pinn and Martin Lee Bailey.  Louis Pinn was killed in 1954 while serving with the RAF in Kenya and his body was laid to rest in Nairobi British Cemetery. Martin  Bailey served with the 14^th Division Queens Royal Lancers (Tanks) seeing service in Northern Ireland and in the first Iraq-Kuwait War.  Whilst on Manoeuvres in Canada he was killed in 1994 and died instantly after a stray shell landed in his observation trench.  He was buried at Sidbury Cemetery after a full Military Funeral at St Giles' Church.  The Reverend Rik Peckham (Chaplain to 2019 Squadron Sidmouth ATC) conducted the Service assisted by the Reverend Canon Dennis Gurney OBE, Branch Chaplain and the Reverend Peter Leverton (Chaplain to the Royal Naval Old Comrades' Association)

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Two Royal British Legion Standard Bearers, Heather Anguishe from the Sidbury and Sidford Branch and David O'Connor from the Sidmouth Branch were in attendance. Tom Harris who is about to join the Royal Marine Band played "The Last Post."

 

 

Sidbury and Sidford Branch of the Royal British Legion 

Reported by the Hon Branch Secretary, Valerie Hull

As part of our 90^th Anniversary initiative 'social outings' a group of members and supporters of the Branch thoroughly enjoyed their visit to Bristol including a tour of the SS Great Britain last Friday.  Designed by Isambard Kingdom Brunel, the SS Great Britain is the world's first iron hulled screw driven ocean liner propelled by a combination of steam and sail power and launched in Bristol in 1843.  She is the centrepiece of a stunning, all-weather, multi award-winning visitor attraction. 

The group explored under water, below the glass 'sea', tested their skills with giant interactive displays, discovered the true story of the ship, her passengers, crew and experienced life on board including the good the bad and the smelly! 

The SS Great Britain criss-crossed the Atlantic to New York, also to South Africa and sailed around the world 32 times which is more than 1,000,000 miles at sea.  She started as an Emigrant Steam Clipper in 1853 when she sailed to Australia. 

The SS Great Britain also served as a troop ship in the Crimean War and the Indian Mutiny later becoming a cargo ship.

 

The ship was eventually scuttled in the Falkland Islands in 1937 and after 50 years as a storage hulk was brought back to Bristol in 1970.  Exactly 40 years since its return it has been restored to its former glory.

Valerie Hull Hon Branch Secretary   

 

 

The recent social outing was enjoyed by a group of  Members ans Supporters who took the Jurassic Heritage Coast Route to Abbotsbury. We visited  the Swannery with around 6oo mute swans, where we observed Swans incubating their eggs, fluffy cygnets from 6 days old onward, and the grain feeding of the swans with interesting commentary. 

Then on to the nearby 20 acre formal and informal Subtropical Abbotsbury Gardens, with stunning high level views of Dorset's World Heritage Coastline - to quote Alan Titchmarsh -  " one of the finest Gardens I have seen". 

Photographs ……   Swans incubating eggs

Branch Member -  Pat Street feeding swans with grain

Abbotsbury Subtropical Gardens

Greenway Trip

We are pleased to be able to support the guidace of our County Chairman, Ralph Howard Williams , by arranging a trip to promote  'comradeship' and 'new Membership'  taking a group of Members and Friends to the National Trust Property Greenway the home of the late Agatha Christie overlooking the River Dart, last Sunday. It was a glorious day with an excellent display of primroses, Camellias and Magnolias at their very best. 

.Veterans News

Sir John Cave in his official capacity as Vice Lord Lieutenant of Devon & Branch President of Sidbury and Sidford Royal British Legion at the AGM on Tuesday night 24th November presenting Mr Anthony Ward R.A.F. with his Veterans badge in recognition of his services in the UK Armed Forces.