CHAIRMAN’S MESSAGE FEB 2025

Hi everyone,

Time for another epistle from yours truly

Ted and I, Bill and Val White and Bob Cook visited 16 Sigs Stafford last Thursday to meet the new C.O., Lt Col Jeyes and Maj Sean Wedge, to see if he was amenable to having our club visiting the regiment. We explained that this year we would love to come for a visit but the way things are in the world we didn’t want to make it formal or for them to spend a lot of their precious time trying to organise things for us. We thought it would be nice to just join in with their sports day/BBQ day and it was agreed that it was a good idea. The date they gave us was 9th July but that has yet to be confirmed.

We talked about our 30th Anniversary next year and before we knew it Col Jeyes was telling us that they would organise a big Regimental dinner for us involving the Officer’s Mess and the Sergeant’s Mess. He’s thinking of V.I.P. guests and came up with Brig Stu Whitley, Maj Ian Wells and a few other possibilities. No date has been set for that but it could possibly be in July which seems a favourable month for them. Col Jeyes said that he wanted it to be a really big event because what we have is worth celebrating. It would be in addition to our 30th Anniversary reunion.

Also while we were chatting we brought up the subject of the club donating a cup to the regiment that could be presented  each year and to be presented to the best up and coming Junior N.C.O for example. They were very keen on the idea and thought it was a lovely gesture. They are still presenting the Lion Trophy and I had the privilege of presenting it when it was reinstated. Bob has volunteered to find a suitable cup and have it engraved. Of course, this is subject to approval from the membership and to that end we would like feedback from everyone. Please let us know your views whether you are for it or against it.

Stay well everybody. I will see some of you next week at the recce.

Hazel