Meeting 3 December 2001
We met at the RAC Club in Sydney on December 3rd ,where we all signed a Christmas card to Mrs Holbrook, widow of the late Commander Holbrook VC,an OP and after whom a township in New South Wales is named. Dr Hands kindly sent us a parcel of the latest PGS publications. These I have put in a box file that I bring to our meetings so that members may borrow and hopefully subsequently return them. Thank you, Dr Hands sir. Cherry reported that he so enjoyed this year's trip to the North Pole that he is going to see how close he can get to the South Pole next year. Now that is something not even Winnie-the-Pooh attempted!
The question how OP's address members of the Staff after they leave school generated considerable discussion. We would be interested to know from our correspondents what they think. I know that, during my last visit to England, when I was in my late 50's I had tea with D D Lindsay. It never occurred to me that he should be addressed in any other way than, sir. Likewise, he was equally at ease calling me Walker-Powell. Charlie Davies wrote that after he had become a Lieutenant Colonel himself he met up with R H Willis. Col Willis invited Charlie to call him Roy; Charlie was horrified.
Craig wrote sending his apologies and suggested that it could be useful to advertise the dates for our meetings a year ahead. This makes sense because planning a visit to Australia requires far more planning than, say, a visit to the Chelsea Flower Show. Our provisional programme for 2002 is 12 February (Pancake Day), 14 May, 20 August, and 26 November. After each successive meeting I will advance the schedule by one meeting date. Those of you with flexible travel plans that include Australia, please make a note in your diaries and join us - we treasure your company.
Gatherings such as ours have come about because of the development of email. Email also reminds one of earlier and preferably forgotten sins. One correspondent reminded me that I used to beat him with such ferocity that I must have enjoyed doing it, another reminded me that I once passed round a tin mug of whisky in my tent during annual JTC camp. To those and other correspondents who thus remember me let me state that I have long since outgrown the first vice and have refined the second so that, instead of Black and White in a tin mug, I now drink Single Malt out of a Waterford tumbler.
The next meeting is on Tuesday 12 February 2002
Details of meetings and OPs in Australia, please contact A Walker-Powell (1939 - 1950) via bandp@triode.net.au
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