www.candoo.com/ulsternorrie/rnator Ahoy Shipmate RNA Torbay Newsletter Volume 6 Issue 4 August 2017 In this issue Editorial Editorial ...................................... 1 Hi! Shipmates, By Shipmate Norrie Millen Chairman’s Corner ........................ 2 A.A.A.D.D .................................. 2 othing like a reunion, swopping Lt. Cdr Harrisons Grandmother .... 3-4 anecdotes and memories. My HMS 1950; version of an email ........... 4-5 NUlster crew meet every year, but if you The loss of HMS Glorious ............... 6 have that special one off get together it When a big ocean gets small ....... 7-9 is most certainly different and very enjoyable. Children writing about the ocean .. .. 9 The Black Hole of Calcutta............ 10 For about two years now I have been trying Abandoned River Rockets ........11-12 organise a reunion for Class of ’57 Westlawn Put a smile on your face .............. 12 Secondary Modern in Teignmouth. Without any contact information it proved quite a Paraprosdokians challenge, but through others made contact with 20 of original class who indicated they would like to attend. The first time I heard about Paraprosdokians, I liked them. The date set was Saturday August 19 and was held at Teignmouth Paraprosdokians are figures of speech Rugby Club. I had been suffering a very severe chest infection and in which the latter part of a sentence doctor was considering putting me into hospital. I explained the or phrase is surprising or unexpected situation and she relented and prescribed extra strong antibiotic and is frequently humorous. and more steroids. In reality, I should never have attended, being (Winston Churchill loved them). so ill, but after 60 years not seeing majority of attendees I felt I had 1. Where there's a will, I want to be to go. in it About 48% of the class had already “Crossed the bar” so 20 seemed 2. The last thing I want to do is hurt like a good number. Eleven people showed up, two I was not you ... but it's still on my list. expecting and six who stated they would attend, failed to show up. 3. Since light travels faster than One lady who I have been in frequent contact with over the years sound, some people appear bright came all the way from Calgary Alberta, others who lived in town until you hear them speak. chose not to travel the half mile or so from their homes to the club. 4. If I agreed with you, we'd both be Sharing our memories of all the water that had passed under our wrong. various bridges was enjoyable and very interesting. One couple 5. We never really grow up -- we who I had been best man for in 1963, had been married happily all only learn how to act in public. those years, others like myself not so lucky. My first deserted me 6. War does not determine who is having cleaned out bank account and I lost second and third to right, only who is left. cancer. 7. Knowledge is knowing a tomato is a fruit. Wisdom is not putting it in a Make the most of life, enjoy every moment of it, you never can tell fruit salad. what lies around the bend – Carpe Diem! 8. To steal ideas from one person is The way I see it anyway! plagiarism. To steal from many is research. Dates for your diary http://www.candoo.com/ulsternorrie/rna_torbay/dates.html September 10th Dedication of memorial- October 21st Trafalgar Dinner Volume 6 Issue 4 August 2017 Recently, I was diagnosed with A.A.A.D.D. – Chairman’s Corner Age Activated Attention Deficit Disorder. By Shipmate John Soanes Arthur Leyland Harrison This is how it manifests: VC RN Memorial project - Progress Report I decide to water my garden. As I turn on the hose in the driveway, The STONEMASON has I look over at my car and decide it needs washing. commenced work at the site, As I start toward the garage, clearing scrub, cleaning the boulder, I notice mail on the porch table that removing the old plaque and preparing the I brought up from the mail box earlier. groundwork for the surround. The new I decide to go through the mail before I wash the car. bronze plaque and the memorial will be completed well in time for the ceremony on I lay my car keys on the table, Sunday 10th September at 1400. put the junk mail in the garbage ENIGMA SIGNAGE have set up the can under the table, artwork and are in the process of preparing and notice that the can is full. So, I decide to put the bills back new sign and refurbishing frame etc. It will on the table and take out the garbage first. be completed and back on site by Thursday or Friday 7th or 8th September. But then I think, TORBAY BRASS BAND will provide since I’m going to be near the mailbox players for the hymns and a bugler to play when I take out the garbage anyway, I may as well pay the bills first. the Last Post and Reveille. I take my cheque book off the table, ORDER OF SERVICE is in the process of and see that there is only one cheque left. being printed. My extra cheques are in my desk in the study, so I go inside the house to my desk where OUR CHAPLAIN S/M Paul Lomas has I find the can of Pepsi I’d been drinking. purchased sound equipment with a microphone. I’m going to look for my cheques, (Seventeen years ago when we initially but first I need to push the Pepsi aside dedicated the memorial being unable to hear so that I don’t accidentally knock it over. The Pepsi is getting warm, and I decide to the proceedings was the only complaint) put it in the refrigerator to keep it cold. GAZEBO - S/M Norrie Millen has As I head toward the kitchen with the Pepsi, borrowed a Gazebo which will be erected a vase of flowers on the counter on the morning of the 10th September catches my eye–they need water. INVITATIONS have been forwarded to I put the Pepsi on the counter and local RNA branches and the Royal Marines, discover my reading glasses that it is hoped they will all attend with I’ve been searching for all morning. standards. I continue to wait for some I decide I better put them back on my desk, replies. but first I’m going to water the flowers. I set the glasses back down on the counter, COMMANDER J. PATTERSON, RN from fill a container with water and suddenly B.R.N.C. Dartmouth, GORDON OLIVER, spot the TV remote. Elected Mayor will be in attendance and Someone left it on the kitchen table. Kevin Foster MP is hoping to attend. I realize that tonight when we go to watch TV, I sincerely hope that everyone will make an I’ll be looking for the remote, effort to attend the ceremony and the but I won’t remember that it’s on the kitchen table, reception at Raffles (RAFA Club) so I decide to put it back in the den where it afterwards. belongs, but first I’ll water the flowers. d d d dd d d d RNA Torbay Newsletter Page -2 Volume 6 Issue 4 August 2017 I pour some water in the flowers, with the car keys. but quite a bit of it spills on the floor. Then, when I try to figure out why So, I set the remote back on the table, nothing got done today, get some towels and wipe up the spill. Then, I head down the hall trying to I’m really baffled because I know remember what I was planning to do. I was busy all the damn day, and I’m really tired. At the end of the day: I realize this is a serious problem, the car isn’t washed and I’ll try to get some help for it, the bills aren’t paid but first I’ll check my e-mail…. there is a warm can of Pepsi Do me a favour. sitting on the counter Forward this message to everyone you know, the flowers don’t have enough water, because I don’t remember who the hell I’ve sent it there is still only 1 cheque in my cheque book, to. I can’t find the remote, I can’t find my glasses, and I don’t remember what I did . Lt. Cdr. Harrison's Grandmother's brother was: Submitted by Shipmate John Soanes CAPTAIN ARTHUR CONOLLY others on either side who were b. 1807 of The 6th Bengal chosen to play the 'Great Game', Native Light Cavalry, was it was the stuff of dreams. Here beheaded by Russians as a was the chance to escape the SPY in June 1842. monotony of garrison life, and For nearly a century the perhaps win promotion, glory two most powerful nations or even a place in Imperial on earth -Victorian Britain history books. and Tsarist Russia It was their task to fill in the continuously struggled to blanks of the staff maps, out manoeuvre each other in discover possible invasion: routes, gather political Central Asia. Water Colour of Arthur Conolly intelligence, befriend Originally, the which is hanging in National Gallery powerful Khans, and frontiers of Russia report on the and British India lay some 2000 miles movements of the other side. apart, by the end, the gap had shrunk in News was forever coming in of the places to less than 20 miles.