The evening started as the members of the military lodge, Pro Patria No 9952, deftly advanced through the business of the lodge in its normal resilient manner, with the WM Peter Baldwin leading the way from the front.
Then the real operation got underway, the annual Regimental Dinner, but this year the brethren and guests had a different reason to commemorate: the lodge would celebrate VE Day. The flags and banners were flying high with HM King Charles III in centre placement.
Music of the era was being hummed out by the music box, provided once again by George Phillips. As in accordance with any regimental dinner, court fines and snitching were in full swing, with Juan Topping and Martin Clements acting as the mess butlers for the evening. Juan was quick to engage and open fire as the first fine was aimed straight at the WM for a simple mistake made in the ritual delivered upstairs in the lodge room.
This was now going to be the ongoing theme of the night as the fines were coming in like hostile fire, which unfortunately also included the mess butler Juan Topping having made a mistake in the running order, oh dear! friendly fire from his fellow mess butler.
The meal was delivered in fine form by Lee Williams catering and his team and what fine food it was. During each course, it was time to pull up a sandbag, as those attending were treated to talks on WWII, starting with ‘The D-Day Landings’ expertly imparted by Gary Bell, followed swiftly by Mike Joyner talking emphatically about ‘The Taking of Pegasus Bridge’.
A new round of fines was being fired at those who had their elbows on tables and any other incident that the butlers could take aim at and so all those in attendance were now taking shelter before the main course was presented. One patron who threw a £5 note into the jar said: “I know how this evening is going to go, so I better put mine in now”.
Following the excellent rations, patrons were standing fast for the next round of talks, starting with ‘The Liberation of Paris’, which was skilfully read by Roger O’Loughin and with Martin Poole, who, as always, delivered in an exemplary manner, ‘The Germans Surrender to Montgomery’ talk.
The final course was consumed with the mess butlers giving additional fines for those stealing a bite or to those not eating their rations. The final talks were implemented impeccably by Graham Bannister, entitled ‘The Fall of Berlin and East meets West’ and then finally, the last talk on ‘The VE Day celebrations’ was delivered with gusto by Terry Stevens-Lewing. The WM then gave the loyal toast, which rightly so was to be raised with a glass of port, followed by a burst of the national anthem.
The WM gave a quick talk on the success of his personal P1200 charity challenge, having completed his sky dive and his walk along Hadrian’s Wall, leaving a few more challenges to be accomplished, including kayaking, which will be completed in due course.
The principal guest of the evening was Major Alex Saunders, OC, Cadet Training Team, who gave a passionate speech on the cadets under his command and what it meant to him to see and be able to assist, the growth of the next generation of our potential armed forces. This was swiftly followed by a toast to the lodge by the WM and then the final toast of the evening’s festivities was given with profound feeling and sentiment to the absent brethren and to those that gave their lives during wartime by Martin Clements.
Juan then moved at the double onto the raffle, offering a rare bottle of white port, which, in conjunction with the collection plate and mess fines paid by the lodge and guests, managed to raise £900. The festivities finished in fine, jubilant and joyous form with the WM wishing everyone a safe journey home or to join him at the mess bar for further frivolities.
Compiled by Terry Stevens-Lewing