NEWSLETTER - DEC 2014

Hello Ladies and Shipmates, Here we are again another year gone and the Association is going from strength to strength with more joining us each month so we must be doing something right. First of all I would like to inform you that we have had three Hermiones cross the Bar, first of all we lost Tom Snow who was a survivor of the wartime cruiser and sadly we didn’t know till it was to late to attend. The Chairman Paul Herington informed me that one of the old skippers Captain Squires (Tubby) had gone , then Ernie Usher informed me that Captain Mike Howitt (jimmy on the first commish) has also crossed. The reunion in Liverpool went well although down in numbers it was a success with visits to the War Rooms , Maritime museum and Albert Dock. With some discussion with regards to next year it was decided that next year we will hold our reunion at the Arboretum in Staffs and do something to commemorate the 75 years and invite as many of the survivors as possible to join us and leave a lasting memorial. Having been in touch with the management at the Arboretum we are now limited to a bench which is supplied by them at a cost of £1100:00 so this is going out to you and if you will support it, I have already spoken to the chairman and treasurer and I have asked if we could have a love seat, i.e. two seats either side of a table to represent the two ships I am awaiting there answer. The Hotel we will be staying at is: Holiday Inn Express Burton on Trent 01283 504300 attn. Ben Hall For the Saturday evening I have booked a very special venue for our dinner which will be held at the winery burton for those that wish to look it up. Also I am trying to organize a brewery visit so if you are interested please let me know as to the numbers this hopefully will be held on the Friday the 16th June. REMEMBER I NEED TO KNOW IF YOU ARE COMING AND IF YOU WISH TO ATTEND ANY EVENT PLEASE… We still have not heard from Clarence house at this present time but there again the President has not yet completed his diary for next year,but we shall let you know when we do you never know he might join us to commemorate next year. Anyway Shipmates I shall leave it with you, comments are accepted and also your views on what I have said and if you wish to donate to the memorial, and I know its early but can I wish you and yours a very early Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year and look forward to hearing from you. yours aye, Steve ….

Hello Ladies and Shipmates, Well shipmates I’m sorry that the newsletter is later than usual but due the circumstances we could not do anything else, as most of you will know that we had a letter from Clarence House with regards to this year and that we would have to wait till they discussed Prince Charles diary for this year so I could not go ahead till we received confirmation. So in the meantime I have had to look at a plan B as well as a C. As we were planning to go to the National Arbouritium this year to have something done at our memorial has now been put on the backburner due it being closed for a year for improvements so alternatives were sort, I had three venues in the air 1 Gloucester, Portsmouth and Liverpool, So Gloucester was out for now and we were in Portsmouth two years ago and we have not had a look at Liverpool. I approached Hotels in Liverpool and had reservations at a couple but as time went by the Adelphi started to release the rooms so as with Colchester last year we have stayed with Best Western, The Best Western Feathers Hotel is in Central Liverpool close to the railway station,( just for you Kath Dougall) and they are holding 20 rooms at the moment for us, if you are planning to book please quote the Hermione Association, I am in the process of arranging a visit to the War Rooms or if there is enough interest a mini cruise up the Manchester Ship Canal for those who fancy using their sealegs or there is Liverpool One for the Ladies or Albert Dock. Best Western Feathers Hotel Mount Plesant Liverpool 0151 709 9655 On Behalf of the Domestic Engineer and myself may we belatedly wish you and yours a Happy New Year , ours started quite early as the Domestic had a bad fall before Christmas and broke her collarbone so it was all hands on deck ie me with a little help from my daughter to get us through, and being organised like i’m not we managed haha so she could not go back to work and her company have been great with her to let her stay at home till she retired, I don’t know what is worst.. As you know last year Derek Duffin had a pacemaker fitted and is on the mend and was unable to attend the reunion has since took retirement , best wishes to you Derek and Diane. Last year at Colchester we had a good time, Shipmates visited the town and the old castle, the meal was enjoyed by all , Trevor Knight gave a break down of the funds and we are not to bad in that department seeing as when we started we set the fees at £10 and the old boys at a £5 and we even had a hardlayers fund, and in the 23 years we have been going its never gone up although we have all got older and lost a few of our stalwarts along the way. It was good to see the reaction on Facebook to the pictures which were put on by a shipmate of Robert Howell when he was skipper,he will fondly be remembered. We shall be going to the National Arbouritium next year as it will be the 75 year of her loss so I am trying to get as many of the survivors or their widows as possible to attend and hope that shipmates will help with transport at the time watch this space,and if anyone has any ideas as to what you want to see in place let us know and we will see if it is possible. There has been a movement as to going to London and take part in the Cenotaph parade in November with other Leanders associations this can be raised when we have our reunion to see what the feeling is amongst you as to what you what do. I have had a couple of spam e-mails which I have deleted but it seems one or two have had the same please be aware that if you are not sure just delete if it is from me and just give me a bell except if your calling from Aussie as they reverse the charges haha well that’s what i’m told go rattle your chains Jonah….. Kipper Herring has written a book about fairies in the fleet sorry that should of read his fairy stories of days of yoor! when he was strapped to the mast knowing kipper he would have liked being strapped to a mast you know these s&s types haha well it’s all in aid of RNBT and kippers retirement fund please buy one its a good read that’s from the St Dunstans library… I believe that Stephen Speilbergh has bought the book for a future film starring George Raft, Ronnie Lake and George Seagull and his brother Stephen anyway its for a good cause,you know what to do. SLOPS, Fred Cook has embarked on a spending spree and bought some more slops so please support if you don’t have Freds address please contact me, he has a good selection and his fame is spreading far and wide well that is what he tells me. If we know of any one who needs us please get in touch so we help or see if they want to talk that is what we are here for and if you need the Hermione Standard its here just give me time to get it to you. Well Shipmates it is short and sweet ,I hope to see as many as possible of you in Liverpool as possible, and if your passing my home just keep going you bunch of free loaders haha! seriously if your on the M6 or the M62 around Warrington give me and bell and drop in for a cuppa or a tot you will be most welcome. yours aye, Steve ….

Our Sad Loss I shall open with the loss of Robert Howell on the 3rd of October and that he passed away in a hospice Joanna informed me and that I sent out e-mails to shipmates and ladies, I also informed as many as I could by telephone and if I missed anyone I am sorry but in was a hectic time, Roberts funeral was well attended by shipmates and Joanna wrote to me to pass on her best wishes and thank you to all who came and for the cards, Joanna was overwhelmed. At the wake after the funeral I managed to speak to a couple of ex-Jimmies of the Hermione who attended, also John Talbot Lt first commission to see if he was interested in joining us at future events. Then I spoke to the Captain who relieved Robert and after a lot of barracking from John Herring , Paul Sheppard and myself . He kindly agreed to join us and become our new chairman, so I have been in contact with him and he has received the information that Robert had which Joanna kindly sent to him. So shipmates and ladies I would like to introduce Captain Paul Herington to you I shall let you have more information him at a later date, I have informed HRH about the situation and I believe they have written to Joanna. Robert was our chairman for 16 years and was actually the founder of the association, when he contacted the Charlie Chester show and formed the wartime association it was only when the Hermione paid off that we came into being, Robert joined us at Babbacombe in 1996.

2012 REUNION Shipmates and Ladies, I am sorry to advise that the 2012 reunion has been changed, due to spiralling costs which did not include tours and meals etc. I spoke to Robert and we decided to get a price for Blackpool and Southampton. However, after a number of weeks the hotel in Southampton confirmed that no dates were available in May or June. They did put me in touch with their sister hotel but the cost was double of what was originally quoted. Therefore, the 2012 Hermione reunion will be in Blackpool! The hotel I spoke to offered me the hotel in June for £99.00 B&B which includes dinner on the Saturday night. The reunion will be held on the 14th/17th June. This date is particularly poignant as this is the date of the loss of the Hermione in 1942 and I would like to attract as many of the vets or widows as possible to come and join us. The address for the 2012 reunion is as follows: The Colwyn Hotel 569 New South Promenade, Blackpool, Lancashire. FY4 1NG Telephone 01253 341024 http://thecolwynhotel.co.uk/ There are 21 rooms with a mix of Doubles, Twins and 4 singles. When the hotel is full, there are a number of apartments next door which can be used.I have been asked if we can hold the 2013 reunion in Peterborough. Again future that is up to you shipmates so please let me know.