Poppyfields’ Post! Dec 2016 

Christmas Edition

As we wave goodbye to a fairly good summer we can now look forward to our Christmas Festivities.

It may have been a while since our last scribblings but we have not been sitting around on our laurels doing nothing and below are reports on many of the recent affairs of the Club and Branch.

In November we held the Armistice Day Parade, an evening to commemorate 100 years since the end of the Battle of the Somme and the AGM. In December we hosted a presentation of The Legion D’Honneur by the French Consul to a Normandy D-Day Veteran Mr John Blood and we have the Christmas Carol Concert on Sunday 4th.

13th November – Remembrance Day Parade

This year’s Armistice Day Parade was held on Sunday 13th November and Paraded from the Royal British Legion Club Carpark, Poppyfields Drive, Off Western Road Mickleover. 100 years ago the First World War was still in progress and we are committed to preserving the memory of all members of the Armed Forces that gave their lives to ensure our freedom and future.

The Parade in Mickleover is one of the most successful in the county and we are always looking for ways to make the Parade more poignant to the young people and this year the Reverend Peter Walley based his talk around a Trench Whistle which was blown before the Silence in memory of those that went before. Following Reveille at the end of the two minutes silence the youth sections all blew whistles to signify the whistles blown at the Battle of the Somme. It was a very powerful moment that made the hairs stand up on the back of your neck.

The parade was made up of Mickleover Branch members and Veterans including the Poppyfields Ladies, with the 124, 149 and 166 Scouts, Cubs and Beavers and Guides and Brownies from the Mickleover District. In attendance were The Deputy Lieutenant Roger Chapman, the Deputy Mayor Councillor Mark Titley, Amanda Solway MP and Major Bruce

Spencer of 162 Regiment who took the salute of the parade at the new saluting base erected outside of the Ambulance Station on Station Road.

The Parade was organised by Steve Dewis and the Parade Marshall was Sgt Karen Martin currently serving with the RAF who has been the Standard Bearer for the Women’s Section for 26 years, though as the Women’s Section Standard was laid up at All Saints Church, Karen graciously accepted an invitation to be Parade Marshal and proved to be a valuable asset to the day.

The Parade was filmed from above by a Drone Video Camera kindly lent to us and piloted by Peter Smith, Director of Sky Eye Concepts Ltd. https://www.eyeinsky.co.uk/

It was once again a spectacular event that brings home to the people of Mickleover exactly why we should remember those that gave their lives that we may remain a free country.

2016/17 Poppy Appeal

Thanks to the Poppy Appeal organisers Roger and Dorothy Stanton the Poppy Appeal has got off to a great start and our total figure to date is £20,679.66 (at time of going to press) which is excellent. Thanks also to Kath Robertson and everyone that helped collecting at Tesco’s and Sainsbury’s.

18th November - The Battle of the Somme Commemoration Evening

The evening to commemorate the end of the Battle of the Somme was a great success and was an evening that balanced the seriousness of the Battle of the Somme with a little humour, a pie, pea and mash supper and some great entertainment from Lilly Taylor Ward.

The evening was also attended by the Mayor Councillor Linda Winters, Major Bruce Spencer of 162 Regiment and the Reverend Peter Walley.

A brief history of how the First World War began, and why: - The Arch Duke Franz Ferdinand was Heir to the Throne of the Austro Hungarian Empire.

It is very complicated but essentially Bosnia belonged to Turkey, Serbia thought it should be theirs whist the Austro Hungarian Empire just ‘annexed’ it as theirs. Not sure how the Turkish Ottoman Empire felt or whether it was a gift but they didn’t last much longer as the Ottoman Empire anyway.

Serbia, of course was pretty upset by this but to some extent just did as they were told. Except for a small underground group of Serbians who set themselves up because on the one hand they thought Bosnia should be theirs and on the other hand were a little worried that Serbia might be next on the list of ‘Annexation’. and they named themselves ‘The Black Hand’

So, fast forward to 1913. Archduke Franz Ferdinand was dispatched to Bosnia to inspect the Austro-Bulgarian troops stationed there. He decided to take his wife and travelled from their estate in an open top car. There were rumours of disruption and indeed The Black Hand had 7 men waiting with hand held bombs and pistols. A bomb was thrown at their car, bounced off the folded up roof and under the wrong car, injuring a couple of Army Officers. Amazingly, The Archduke and his wife Sophia were no more than shaken so they decided to continue to their reception at the City Hall. On leaving, The Archduke decided to continue as planned and visit wounded soldiers in a hospital. They did decide however that perhaps they should take a different route than planned.

So, by this time the Black Hand had pretty much given up on their assassination attempt, gone their separate ways and tried to disappear into the crowds and make their ways home. Gavrillo Princip was part of the Black Hand and was trying to evade Police and the Army when he walked down Appel Quay. To his amazement the motorcade with the

Archduke and his wife took a wrong turn and headed towards him. He pulled out his pistol and fired two shots at point blank range. Both the Archduke and his wife killed.

So here is where it gets complicated. The Austro Hungarians blamed Serbia, Russia was best buddies with Serbia. Germany were mates with Austria but the Germans didn’t think Russia would go to war but when Austria declared war on Serbia the Russians joined in to help their friends in Serbia. Germany decided they would join in on Austria’s side. Germany also thought that while they were at it they might as well pop in to Belgium who were best buddies with France so France joined in to defend their pals.

Britain told Germany to leave Belgium and France alone because we were buddies with them and you don’t bully our mates unless you want a fight. Germany thought we wouldn’t but we did. On the 4th of August 1914 Britain declared war on Germany.

Many vicious battles would be fought over the first two years of WW1. In total over 9 million soldiers were killed and nearly the same number of civilians.

On July 1st 1916 the most bloody and vicious battle the British Army has ever fought before or since took place in an area of France that lay beside the river Somme. The battle would take it’s name from that river.

Also known as the Somme Offensive, It would rage on until November 18th 100 years ago. 146,431 British men would lose their lives or be classed as missing presumed dead and a further 623,907 would be injured. On the first day alone, 19,240 British died. If you count our allies, this figure shoots to about 30,000. On the first day alone!

Nobody knows what to really expect when they join the Army. These men joined up without any knowledge of what they would be expected to endure. They were patriotic young men, many too young to officially join but who were so eager to ‘do their bit’ they lied. Such was the fervour of the communities that battalions became known as the Pals Battalions. Hundreds and thousands of men queued to join a war that in the beginning was thought would be over by Christmas. How wrong they were.

In the fields that surround the Somme there are miles and miles of tunnels dug by miners specially sent to plant explosives close to the German lines. They would work in teams and work endlessly to reach their goal. Many, many died doing so. They had to be in absolute silence so the sound of the shovels could not be heard by the enemy. Often as they got closer to their destination they would use their hands.

The trenches, 10 foot deep, dug by hand. Shovel after shovel. They would need to dig out holes in the sides to have as latrines, there would be what can only be described as rooms dug into them and every time they made advances on the enemy they would need to do it all again.

Conditions in the trenches were terrible. When it rained they would flood. There is a medical term called Trench Foot which comes directly from the Trenches of World War One. This is when your feet literally rot because of the wet. Then the rats came. They would eat the rotten flesh and often the men didn’t even feel it because they had lost all sensation in their feet.

In the mist of the early morning on the 1st July 1916 the whistles blew down the lines. The young men who had been dug in for days waiting, finally started to climb the ladders placed against the trench sides towards No Man’s Land.

Most of those 19 thousand men were gunned down by enemy machine guns. The British and Germans didn’t sit down and decide what day to start the battle on, it was in nobody’s calendar so as the whistles blew, that piercing sound that would travel and the roar of the soldiers, high in adrenalin, the enemy would know we were coming and they were ready. Machine guns in hand.

We cannot comprehend the fear, emotion or the conditions that these men went through 100 years ago.

The Armed forces have learned a lot from battles like The Somme. One of the first things

a new recruit is taught is the importance of keeping your feet dry and clean. The way we fight has of course changed but we must never forget the sacrifice that these young men gave in order for us to remain free and safe.

During the evening Mrs Jean Abberley, The Club Honorary Vice President, and Mr Vernon Rosher, The Branch Chairman, received Military Plaques presented by Major Bruce Spencer of the 162 Rgt and Mr Vernon Moore a Royal Navy Veteran and long standing Club and Branch member.

The plaques are proudly displayed on the bulkhead around the bar.

1st December - Legion D’Honneur Presentation

The presentation of this very high honour was made by The French Consul Monsieur Jean-Claude La Fontaine to the D-Day Veteran Mr John Blood.

In 1943 after Germany had occupied France for some time, the allies started planning the most daring of operations in order to land troops on to the shores of Northern France. Along the beaches of Normandy, the British, United States and Canadians planned to drop over 160,000 troops onto the shore. This would be done at 5 different landing points.

Utah, Omaha, Gold, Juno and Sword covering 50 miles of the North western region of France.

Before the allies could mount this operation military deception was needed. Almost 18 months of planning to convince the German troops that the allies would be attacking elsewhere, this was codenamed Operation Bodyguard. The plan was that Germany would expect an attack near the Pas de Calais, the Balkans, Southern France and Norway with the Soviets attacking Bulgaria.

The plan, hatched out by Winston Churchill and his American and Soviet counterparts worked. Hitler sent his troops everywhere the allies wanted but not to the North Western region of France although it had already been well protected and still had a significant force at its disposal.

On the eve of the 6th of June 1944, a young John Blood, just 20 years old, was waiting along with his unit, The Lincolnshire Regiment. He and his friends would have had no idea what lay ahead. They would have been sitting round eating what rations they could, cleaning their 303 rifles and probably writing letters home to their families. Whilst they were preparing, the RAF and Royal Navy played their part by dropping hundreds of bombs and shelling all along the coast.

We can only imagine what would have been in the minds of these young men as they boarded the ships to take them to France. Secrecy was utmost so very few, if any, would know the true nature of the operation. ‘Careless words cost lives’ and so to stop soldiers inadvertently letting on what they were doing, only the top brass knew the real objective. It would be shortly before reaching France that John would have known his goal.

The Naval operation to get the troops there was codenamed Operation Neptune.

The weather was not good, it was wet and windy, the crossing would have been very tough on even the most hardened of soldiers.

At about 06:30 on the morning of June 6th 1944 John, along with his unit jumped out of the landing craft into waist deep cold water. Lifting his rifle above his head John made his way to the shore and onto Sword Beach. Condoms had been issued to the troops. This was not in the hope that they might find love in the land of romance but they were used to cover the end of their rifles so they did not get wet.

As they waded towards the shore they came under heavy fire from gun emplacements overlooking the beach. The shore was mined and covered with obstacles like wooden steaks and barbed wire.

The Normandy, or D Day Landings cost the lives of 4,414 men with over 10,000 casualties. It was a pivotal point in the war though. The allies now had ground troops on French soil. After 5 years at war and with the help of our allies by July 1944 over 1 million allied troops were in Europe. The war in Europe would be over within the year.

It should not be forgotten that we, as just one of the countries fighting the Nazi regime, had the clear advantage of water between us and the enemy. France, Belgium, Poland and the other countries involved were not so lucky. The bravery of the French particularly should be told as without the courage of the men and women of the Resistance, D Day might not have happened as it did. These people spent months preparing the way for the troops.

The men who landed on the beaches on the 6th June 1944 were brave men, many did not come home. Thankfully John did and it was a wonderful occasion to be able to join with him to receive the Legion D’Honneur from Monsieur Lafountaine.

On the 70th anniversary of D-Day in June 2014, the French President announced that the distinction would be awarded to all British veterans who fought for the liberation of France during the Second World War between 1944 and 1945.

The Legion D’Honneur, it’s full name being The National Order of the Legion of Honour or Ordre national de la Legion d’honneur is the highest French order for military and civil merits and was established by Napoleon Bonaparte in 1802.

The Royal British Legion Mickleover Club and Branch are proud and honoured to have been asked to facilitate the presentation and we thank Mr Blood and his former comrades for everything that they did to keep Europe free of tyranny.

4th December – Christmas Carol Concert

Open to all and starting at 7.30pm, this year’s Christmas Carol Concert will once again see us hosting the Salvation Army Band who will play a selection of Christmas Carols for all to enjoy. The Carols will be interspersed with various readings and a plated buffet will be provided during the evening.

Christmas Party

Friday 16th December – See flyers and notices at the bar for details.

Christmas Prize Draw

Tickets will be available shortly from behind the bar.

Membership

We currently have 360 fully paid up members which is improving all the time. Please check to make sure that if you have paid your fees to London that you also pay your Club and local Branch fees to us here at Mickleover. The Main Branch in London will no longer collect local fees and therefore even those members who pay by direct debit to London need to pay their local fees in the Club.

Club Subscription = £7.50 Local Branch Fee = £1.00 Main Branch Fee = £17.00

To pay your local subscriptions for 2016/2017 please put £8.50 into a membership envelope, available in the Club, and then pay £17.00 direct to Haig House via your chosen method of payment.

If you would prefer you can put the full £25.50 into a membership envelope, but please enclose your letter from Head Office, and we will process the membership on your behalf. Your Legion Membership Card will be posted direct to you from London which you can then bring into the Club where a Club Validation Sticker will confirm your Full Membership.

For New Members wishing to join the Club we have a new Temporary Club Membership Scheme up and running. Simply fill out an application form, available at the bar, and pay the staff £8.50 and a temporary membership card with individual Temporary Club Membership Number will be issued to you. Temporary membership affords you no rights of membership other than the use of the Club though you will still be bound by the current Club Rules. By signing the application form you are agreeing to become a Full Member and must join the Main Royal British Legion Branch at Haig House in London. Your Legion Membership Card will be posted to you which you can then bring into the Club where a Club Validation Sticker will confirm your Full Membership.

One member has put £8.50 in an envelope but has unfortunately forgotten to put their name on the front of the envelope before handing it in. So will the owner of the rogue £8.50 please form queue in front of Norah next time you see her and she will carry out handwriting tests to ascertain the correct recipient.

AGM 2016

Both Club and Branch Annual General Meetings were held on Tuesday 29th November in the Victory Lounge. The Branch meeting was run by Bernard Page from the County Branch Committee and the Branch Chairman gave his report.

The Club meeting was a little more concerning as the Treasurer reported the current balance, but in the Chairman’s report we were informed that current sales have increased due to the greater use of the function room and that we are still making savings where we can to reduce outgoings. He further reported that prices are due to be reviewed and many will have to increase in order to combat the deficit.

Poppyfields’ Ladies

Following a visit to the Royal British Legion Women’s Section Annual National Conference earlier in the year Mrs Margaret Orme and Mrs Norah Appleby MBE reported that the Women’s Section is due to be swallowed up by the Royal British Legion Main Branch (often referred to as the Men’s Section) on a National Level.

At their subsequent meeting the ladies of the Mickleover Branch of the Women’s Section held a vote and decided to close their section from the end of September 2016.

This was very sad news as the Women’s Section has always been a very strong supporter of both the Club and the Branch. The Women’s Section Standard was laid up at All Saints Church on Thursday 29th September.

The Ladies Section has subsequently reformed as a section of the Club and will henceforth be known as “The Poppyfields’ Ladies”.

Family Fun Day

The date for next year’s event has been changed and is now booked for Saturday 15th July 2017. An open meeting will be held on Wednesday 7th December at 7.30pm to begin to organise the event; please come along and bring your ideas.

Indoor Games

The Club indoor games league started again on Tuesday evenings so if you fancy a game of Crib or Dominoes why not sign up on the list in the Games Room.

Barrier

We’re happy to report that the barrier is still working… well it was at the time of going to press anyway.

The Flat

The flat has once again been rented out to hopefully a less controversial tenant this time.

Golf Society

The golf society is open to all Club Members and a golf competition is organised every month from March to September. All matches count toward a Player of the Year Award which is usually presented in October on a Golfing Weekend Away.

The AGM for the Society will be held in the Club on Friday 9th December at 7.30pm. It is open to existing and prospective society members.

Club Entertainment and Speciality Evenings

Saturday Evening Entertainment is very popular and will of course continue, this is free to members and only £2.00 for their guests. If you are not one of our regular “Saturday Nighters” then why not come along and give it a try – you may even enjoy throwing a few shapes on the dance floor – well, you never know!

The Sunday Carvery from 12.00 til 2.00pm every Sunday and is extremely popular. This is only £6.25 for adults and £3.95 for Children and is open to members and guests.

Monday is quiz night with drinks voucher prizes followed by the Club Tote Draw – Watch out for the snowball prize currently over £280! (please see later for details).

Wednesday is Poppyfields’ Ladies Bingo and is open to all Club Members.

The first Friday of each month is Jazz night with a rotation of Jazz bands who play a good range of jazz music and this is interspersed with visits from “Silver Sax” a very popular jazz band that arrange to play in addition to our regular Jazz Nights.

Open The Box

On a Sunday evening we have the “Open the Box” draw which gives you a chance to win from a bottle of wine up to a “rolling up” cash prize. The prize currently stands at £150.00 (at time of going to press anyway). Entry into the draw costs a mere £1.00 and tickets are sold to members only from 10.00pm every Sunday evening.

Janet’s Legion Coach Tours!

All three coach trips were very well attended with the December trip to Lincoln Christmas Market being practically a complete sell-out and Janet already has ideas for three trips next year.

Details will be announced in the New Year.

Football Teams

Mickleover RBL Football teams are the envy of the leagues with the facilities provided and the grounds are kept in tip top condition. With Adult, Reserve and Youth Teams the Football Section is a major part of our club.

3G All Weather Court

A popular community facility as most evening sessions are fully booked up in advance. There are still daytime and weekend slots available should anyone be interested.

Christmas Opening Times

Friday 23rd – Midnight Saturday 24th – 12 Noon through to 12.30am Sunday 25th–Lunchtime Closed - Evening 8.00pm to 11.00pm Monday 26th – 7.00pm – 11.00pm Tuesday 27th to Friday 30th – 7.00pm to 11.00pm Saturday 31st – 12 Noon through to 1.00am Sunday 1st January - Lunchtime Closed - Evening 7.00pm to 11.00pm

RBL Tote Draw

“TOO GOOD TO MISS!”

The “TOTE” is drawn every week on a Monday evening following the quiz, with a weekly prize of £40.00. This is then enhanced with a “Snowball” pot of money that rolls up by

£5.00 a week until won. Currently the Snowball Pot stands at over £280.00 and this will be added to the weekly draw figure if released.

So how does the tote work?

Choose 5 numbers between 1 and 30 and each Monday after the quiz we draw two numbers at random on our electronic number generator. If these two numbers match any two from your list then you win a share of the prize. Before the draw we run a “Snowball Run” and if the number 31 is generated then the Snowball Pot is released and added to the prize fund for that week.

To enter simply pick five numbers (from between 1 and 30) and write them in the boxes below along with your name and a contact number and then leave it behind the bar with at least a pound for the first week. Alternatively see Mrs Norah Appleby MBE and she will take your money and add your selections into the following Tote Draws.

Please note that you will have been officially entered when confirmed by Norah.

Good Luck everyone!

All Proceeds go towards the upkeep of the Club.

RBL Mickleover Club Tote Draw Entry Form

Name: __________________________________________

Tel: _____________________________________________

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A Merry Christmas to All Our Readers

From The Club Committee