Lichfield Reunion 2011

A Wonderful Weekend

Friday 9th September 2011, it's 1600 hrs at The Cathedral Lodge Hotel, Lichfield. The bar is full with the noise of chinking glasses, laughter and conversation. Our weekend has started with gusto if the animated smiling faces are anything to go by. Looking around I can see lots of familiar faces and few I don't recognise. I'm soon in conversation with OCA members and their partners sitting in groups chatting away.

George Nicholson, Gerald 'Jess' Baldwin, Jimmy James and wife Jean are attending their first OCA reunion as are Neville Wareham and partner Elsie. Jimmy and Jean were soon amongst old friends seeing them for the first time since 1965. The fact that George and 'Jess' didn't know anyone from their time at Crown, didn't stop them from engaging in dialogue with their newly aquired friends. Neville and Elsie were similarly engaged. Billy Shannahan our genial Irish host, employed our spokesman on all matters social, Alan Myers, to pleasantly surprise us with an announcement of a round of drinks on the hotel, he went on to say that the wine for dinner was also 'on the house'. As we moved to the bar to take up his offer he concluded by saying, that the champagne at breakfast was also free!! Thank you Billy for your generosity and thank you Alan for your 'Town Crier' skills. Time flew bye and before we knew it George Nicholson had to leave as he wasn't able to stay for the whole weekend. He has thoroughly enjoyed his time with us and his parting words were a commitment to become more involved in the future. All too soon it was time to go to the room to change for Friday's highlight, Dinner in the hotel dining room. The dining room soon filled up as guests took their seats. It's fair to say there wasn't much room left after we'd taken our seats, one of my concerns when booking the hotel. With Mike Stanbridge, Jim Hopgood, Alan Myers and Noel Jackson at the head of the table we settled down to a briefing from the Chairman. Mike updated the guests on a couple of matters which he felt needed clarification. Alan Myers as our spokesperson at these times, proposed a toast to OCA and absent friends with emphasis on Buck and Rosemary Brown. At this point I want to add commiserations to Mick Allen, June Stanbridge, George and Agnes Smart, who along with Buck and Rosemary were unable to attend due to health issues. You missed a cracking weekend however, you were there in spirit as your friends were mindful of your well being. Good food, wine and pleasant conversation aided the time to fly past and the necessity for a move to the hotel bar as the staff needed to clear away the dining room. The rest of Friday night was spent in nostalgic conversation about our younger lives in north east Thailand, with our wives and partners keeping our feet on the ground metaphorically speaking, with just the right amount of gentle banter, to remind us of our more present day senior frailties.

After a humid night, Saturday morning arrived with a not too good weather forecast. Apparently a band of rain was going to pass through the Midlands region and drop some of it on Lichfield? My hope was it wouldn't stop everyone from visiting Lichfield's many attractions, although my back-up plan was that the shopping centre is comprehensive and undercover, which would hopefully, keep our ladies happy with the consquence of everyone being happy? Before that scenario however, was breakfast, with champagne if we wanted it and quite a number took Billy up on his generosity. The food was good and plenty to satisfy the hungriest amongst us. A time span of 0700 till 1030 hrs meant a lie-in was possible for those who like their sleep time. Nothing was organised through OCA so our party spent their time in Lichfield or the surrounding area as they wished. The Cathedral, Erasmus Darwin's Museum, The Dr Samuel Johnson museum are amongst Lichfield's many attractions for our party to enjoy. Just a mile outside Lichfield on the Tamworth road is the Staffordshire Regiments Museum another attraction with a military connection. We ventured out and almost immediately an open topped landau with The Sheriff (Lord Mayor) and his guest's on board passed the hotel for his annual drive round the City. In his wake rode some forty or fifty (I stopped counting) riders resplendent in their outfits. A good start to Saturday for us. Alan Myers kindly took Jim Hopgood up to visit The National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas, something I know Jim very much appreciated. As usual the weather forecasters managed to get it wrong, apart from a brief shower, Saturday was bright and warm. Somebody up there was smiling down on us. Dinner on Saturday had an appropriate theme to it, one that we hadn't done before as an Association. 1900 hrs and everyone was present at the Ma Ma Thai Restuarant. A room had been reserved for us, the theme was that of an ancient Thai Temple with a sky line of old Bangkok. Recesses in the walls held copies of Bhuddist statues. The Chef had previously worked in the Imperial Hotel Bangkok, the benefit for us was her experience in cooking European and British food. Few Thai restaurants will provide British food something we needed as in a large party not everyone will like Thai food. In the event some two thirds of us ate Thai and the rest choosing British. The Thai food was served Thai style, which is basically, the food goes into the middle of the table and everyone helps themselves. To put it another way, a sort of Thai Pick 'n' Mix. The food was delicious as we informed the Chef at the end of the dinner when she came to enquire our verdict. A big thank you to the staff at the Ma Ma Thai Lichfield, you were recomended and you certainly lived up to that recommendation.

Surachai Techakosit, Phra Sitton Dhammasito and chef Panida Rongthong pose for the author on a subsequent visit to the Ma Ma Thai

Sunday morning and an early big breakfast where 'Jess' Baldwin was already tucking in with the dining room all to himself. We sat at the table next to his where we soon joined by Alan Myers. 'Jess' was making an early start back up to Pontefract so after breakfast ( the champagne was still on offer) I roped Alan in, to take a formal picture of him welcoming Jess to our fraternity (see above). The dining room filled up with hungry guests tucking into breakfast with more good natured chat and then back to the room for packing to vacate the hotel. Some of our party were making an early start and we said our goodbye's as we checked out. The remainder of us made our way to the National Memorial Arboretum at Alrewas where we again divided up into a group that attended the Remembrance Service at 1100 hrs and some just browsing around the grounds. Noel and Somrak Jackson arrived with their children where we walked over to The Wall of Remembrance where Tony Denner's name is cast in the stone. This was a poingant moment for Harry Collar as he was one of the Medic's who attended to Tony in his final moments. Harry has visited Tony's grave in Tiverton. He was at the OCA Remembrance Ceremony for the men who died on Crown, at Crown Airfield on November 12th 2010. He completed his own circle of remembrance for Tony when he sat by the wall where Tony's name is inscribed.

The group got together at this moment with laughter as we took impromptu snaps of ourselves divided into the sexes. Noel Jackson made sure his Dad, Sgt Arthur Jackson REME, was with us in spirit as he held forward a picture of his Dad and the Vets gathered behind him. This sparked the ladies joining together in a retaliatory group for us blokes to start clicking away. A happy memory to take away with us.

It was time for food before setting off in some cases for a long journey home. We made our way back to the picnic tables outside the restaurant in the main building. Another final surprise was given to us in the guise of more home cooked Thai food, courtesy of Somrak Jackson, aided by her two little helpers. Delicious spicy snacks appeared out of plastic boxes which were devoured by those of us still at the NMA. Somrak's culinary skills resulted in quite a number of converts to Thai food as we munched away at Thai spring rolls dipped in sweet chili and spicy chicken on a stick dipped in peanut sauce. YUM! YUM!

Appetite sated and it was time for our farewells, sadly it was time for us to depart for home. The concensus of opinion points decidedly to a wonderful weekend, not my words but from one of our participants. Check out the slideshow below for more pictures of our reunion. Send your favourite pictures of the weekend if you want them included in the slideshow. Thanks to all of you who came, it was a pleasure to spend time in your company.

John Hamnett