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Events 2019

Annual Christmas luncheon:


12.00 pm Friday 6th December 2019: Annual Adelphi Hotel. See Treasurer, Mike Hurst to reserve your place(s)

Service of Remembrance & Dedication

Remembrance Sunday

10th November 2019

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A reminder for all our members, with regard to Remembrance Sunday: 

Liverpool’s Lord Mayor will lead the annual service of Remembrance on Sunday 10th November at the Cenotaph on St George’s Hall Plateau, L1 1JJ. We would like to encourage all members to turn out for this annual act of remembrance, and if possible persuade other members of the Airborne community to attend.


Any ex-members of the Airborne Forces wishing to march with the largest Airborne contingent outside London, are to be at the Crown Public House, Lime Street, L1 1JQ, no later than 10.00 am.

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The full programme of events and times for the Service can be viewed here.

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Grenadier Guards Association

(Liverpool Branch Formed 1920)

President: THE RIGHT HON. THE EARL OF DERBY

Vice Presidents: C Yates, G Norris & G Hughes

 

 

Hello Everyone

 

I’m happy to say that our Annual Dinner will be held once again this year at The Atlantic Tower Mercure Hotel, Chapel Street Liverpool on Saturday 16th November 2019 at 1830hrs for 1900hrs.

 

The staff are more than happy to welcome us back and have very generously offered us the same rates and prices as last year. Over the past few years, the hotel has done us proud and has grown a fondness to our branch and a willingness to do that little bit more with attention to detail and special requests.

 

I am pleased they are happy to accommodate us again as I know we all like continuity and a familiar venue and hopefully with the same team looking after us.

 

As usual, the dress code for gentlemen is Black Tie or Lounge Suit or Blazer with Regimental Tie & medals Ladies – just look GORGEOUS as you always do!

 

This year’s menu is as follows and I ask you to choose 1 of the options for each course:-

 

Starters

Slow roast Tomato soup basil pesto cream (V)

Prawn Crayfish Cocktail bloody mary sauce & rustic bread

Ham hock pea terrine pickled red onion salad mustard dressing

Pimms marinated melon raspberry sorbet (V)

 

Mains

Supreme of Chicken oven roasted with roast potatoes sage & onion Stuffing & gravy jus

Honey Roast Loin of Pork sea salt crackling sage & onion stuffing apple sauce

Seared Salmon crispy leeks champagne sauce

Garlic & thyme roast butternut squash, butterbean & mushroom ragout, soft herb crumb (V)

 

Desserts

Rhubarb & custard Eaton Mess

Chocolate orange Profiteroles, orange cream filled with dark chocolate

Individual apple, pear & walnut crumble vanilla custard

 

Tea/coffee Petit fours

 

This is £27 per person for the 3-course dinner again with wine on each table and terrific after-dinner entertainment.

 

The hotel has also honoured to keep our HAPPY HOUR,  and at last years prices.

From 6 pm -11 pm (more of a happy night)

John Smiths, Guinness, Heineken, Amstel £3.50 pint.

A glass of HOUSE Wine £4.00 175ml.

 

Attached is a booking form which I ask you to complete and return to Julie Champion 11 Oulton Close Prenton Wirral CH43 0XD.  Cheques are payable to The Grenadier Guards Association.

 

As we all know the hotel is beautiful and rooms are available if you would like to stay over, the hotel has also honoured last years prices which is great for an inner-city hotel in November. 

 

Twin or Double room £90.00 with breakfast per room per night.

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Single £80.00 with Breakfast per room per night.

 

Check in time is 2.00pm

Check out time the following day is 12.pm (Mid-day)

 

The hotel has parking and Claire has again, kindly offered us five complimentary car park spaces on a first come first served basis then all car parking is charged at £5.00 per car,  and there is an NCP in the close vicinity of the hotel.

 

Accommodation is bookable by yourselves to the hotel, you are asked to contact Claire Wallis on 0151 472 2853 with valid card detail to secure your Room booking with them.

 

I must stress that all for overnight accommodation would have to be with me & Claire by Saturday 5th October.

 

Please fill in your accommodation requirements on the form so I can follow up all rooms booking with the hotel.

 

If accommodation is required, an early reply would be appreciated

 

Name ……………………….   Phone number ……………….

 

I / we are book accommodation for a ………. Night stay

 

Accommodation order form

 

I would like to book ………  Twin Room @ £90.00 with Full English Breakfast on Friday 15/11/2019

 

I would like to book ………  Double Room @ £90.00 with Full English Breakfast on Friday 15/11/2019

 

I would like to book ………  Single Room @ £80.00 with Full English Breakfast on Friday 15/11/2019

 

I would like to book ………  Twin Room @ £90.00 with Full English Breakfast on Saturday 16/11/2019

 

I would like to book ………  Double Room @ £90.00 with Full English Breakfast on Saturday  16/11/2019

 

I would like to book ………  Single Room @ £80.00 with Full English Breakfast on Saturday 16/11/2019

 

If accommodation is required, please return with your meal choices to me by Saturday 5th October 2019

 

All Guests need to contact Claire at the hotel on - 0151 472 2853 to secure their room booking with Valid card details

 

Payment for all rooms are taken ON ARRIVAL at the hotel - card details are taken only, to secure the booking, as per their terms and conditions

 

This year’s menu is as follows and I ask you to choose 1 of the options for each course:-

Name ..................          Phone Number  ..................           How many in Party  ..................

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Starters                      Numbers required  ...........

Slow Roast Tomato & basil soup (V)         ...........

Prawn Crayfish Cocktail                           ...........

Ham hock pea Pate                                   ...........

Melon raspberry sorbet (V)                       ...........

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Mains

Supreme of Chicken                                ...........

Honey Roast Loin of Pork                         ...........

Seared Salmon                                         ...........

Garlic Butternut Squash                           ...........

 

Desserts

Rhubarb & custard Eaton Mess               ...........

Chocolate orange Profiteroles                 ...........

Apple, pear & walnut crumble                 ...........

 

Please  return your Choices of Menu Form To,

Julie Champion

11 Oulton Close,
Prenton

Merseyside

CH43 0XD

Tel; 07912846197

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No later than Saturday 5th October 2019 (earlier if possible)

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Cheques payable to “Grenadier Guards Association”

If you prefer to pay by Bacs, the details are….

09-01-29 - 09839137 please use reference Dinner Dance

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Date: Tuesday, 3rd February 2026.

Present:
28 members were present at the meeting.

The Branch Chair opened the meeting at 2000hrs.

Apologies for absence:
Ian Whiteside, Roy Bevan, Ken Barney, Jim O’Connell, Danny Hart, Wally Thorburn, Joe Pettigrew, Stan Fortune, Tony Woods. Neil Platt, Steve Miley, Tommy Dempsey, Steve Doran.

Minutes of the Previous Meeting:
The minutes of the previous meeting were proposed by Dave Woodray and seconded by Frank Boyle.

Matters Arising: N/A

Visitors/new members: 1

Chair's Report:
Bruce opened the meeting with apologies for the cancellation of the January 2026 meeting, which was due to works being undertaken at the venue.

Bryce, on behalf of the branch, paid respects to those we lost in 2025 and, more recently, Chris Bates in 2026.

Bruce reiterated the ongoing drive to encourage new members to join the branch and for us all to push the benefits to those who are not yet members. We have produced business cards for members to hand out to any interested people with details on joining.

It was also encouraging to know that the Wirral Branch are slowly growing in numbers and had 12 members at their last meeting.

Brian, our Branch Secretary, will send a message to our PRA WhatsApp group with information on how potential members can join.

Welfare report:
Bruce contacted several members of the branch over the last few weeks and provided an update. Members sent their best wishes to all of those who are unable to get to the branch meetings. It is important to make sure members are regularly contacted, and if a phone call or a quick visit can be arranged by members, this would make a massive difference for those who are unable to attend the branch meetings personally to meet with friends.

Remember that if members require additional support, it is available through the branch, where we can contact the Regimental Welfare Team, who are trained to deal with a variety of issues and cases that are more complex. Tony Woods is currently unwell, and if anybody wishes to visit him, please contact Bruce.

Secretary's Report:
The new date for unveiling of the Airborne Forces Statue is 31st July 2026.
The statue will be in Abbey Field, adjacent to the 16 Air Assault Brigade’s front gate at Merville Barracks.
All Associations are encouraged to attend this event.
The branch Secretary will contact Mike Farrington (NW PRA Chair) with a view to arranging transport to support those who wish to attend across the Region to potentially save some money if enough wish to attend.
It was agreed at the branch that, due to Joe Harkon’s daughter, Freya, representing the Regiment on behalf of her late Father, we would consider appointing her as an Honorary Branch member. Although the branch voted in favour of this request, Brian Welsh will review the constitution and bring this back to January’s meeting.

Brian Welsh would arrange the booking of Altcar Camp facilities in March 2026 for a commemorative event for Joe Harkon.
The Camp commandant has had to suspend this booking due to ongoing works on-site. He will contact Brian Welsh with an alternative date as soon as possible.

The new PARA App, funded by Support Our Paras, is a platform for Serving Personnel, Veterans and Partners & Families. It will transform the way we can communicate, connect and engage across the entire Regimental Family and airborne community. The app is now available to download in the App Store & Google Play Store in December, as well as accessible by website access from your home computer, laptop or tablet. The PRA are the driving force behind this App, so please get involved. To upload the App on your device, click this link using the password 1942 to register: https://link.militaryapp.org/para/fcEzu

An additional brief reminding members of the procedure to submit claims for TA/Reserve pensions: Pensions update for those applying for their TA pensions. Once your training days have been received from Glasgow via the government website https://submit-a-data-protection-request.service.mod.uk/start, they will be training days ONLY over the period you served.

MOD pay Offices only keep pay slips for a period of 7 years after discharge, therefore pay scales are no longer available to them.

When you apply for your training days following the link above, in the drop-down box which asks for proof of service, write in the free text box that you require your pfile. This will then be directed to the Army Personnel Centre (APC), who will send you your file, which may have details around pay scales you were on during the period of service.

The appeal from the MOD has been refused; therefore, continue to gather information on your records of service.

Regimental Commemoration Day 24-26 July 2026 The National AGM will be held at the National Memorial Arboretum, Airewas, Staffordshire, on Saturday 25th July. We have booked a minibus for the event, so all those wishing to attend MUST provide Brian Welsh with names, especially for those who wish to book a lunch.

Treasurer's Report:
Reminder from Treasure to those who have yet to pay subs. £30.00 per year or pay in instalments.

The Hard Days Night Hotel has offered the branch a provisional booking for 2026 for 12th December.

Events sub-committee N/A Future events














AOB:
Lunch served at 1400, Mick Coleman provided an update ref laying of the colours at St Nics.
Mick will be meeting the new Vicar on Thursday, 5th February and will report back.

Kevin Hughes informed the members of a trip to Ypres, 3 nights and 4 days, on October 1st to 4th. Travel from Altcar, with the event being arranged by the Royal Engineers Association.
Five Liverpool PRA members have already booked on the trip.
Contact Kevin Hughes if interested.

Chris Baine's funeral details:
12th February at 11.45,
St Teresa's Church,
Sedgemoor Road,
Norris Green,
Then to Everton Cemetery,
And finally, to raise a glass to Chris's memory at
Queen of Martyrs,
Croxteth Hall Lane.

Close Meeting:The 
Branch Chair closed the meeting at 21.00hrs
Date of next meeting Tuesday, 3rd March 2026 at 20.00hrs
AVCC Sports And Social Club,
Lancing Drive.
Aintree

Brian Welsh, Branch Secretary, Liverpool PRA Approved:

Please check out the events list on the website for details of Regimental and Local events near you: www.theparachuteregimentalassociation.com 
 

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