ADLS Commemorative Cruise Supper - A Reminder

Dear Member

If you are intending to join the fleet in Ramsgate at the end of May and haven’t returned your form can I ask you to do so asap please or by 29^th April latest.  The marina and caterers will need an indication of numbers fairly soon.

We will also need names of all those in your party attending the Supper.

Attached is the menu for the Commemorative Cruise Supper.

If you are unable to join us then please ignore this message.

Best regards

David Knight

Hon. Secretary ADLS

Welcome to the Spring 2016 Newsletter

This edition covers the Endeavour's possible big screen debut, David Wightman's memories of Dunkirk (expanded from the version that appeared in the Newsletter), a rather interesting correction and additional context to an old story about swimming the channel, an update on the Educational and Community Programme, an explanation of why Endeavour's mast has been down over the winter and last, but not least, some fabulous new merchandise items.

Please drop us a line if you have any comments, or visit us on our Facebook page at https://www.facebook.com/EndeavourTrustLeigh/

The Year Ahead

Goodness, is it really six months since the last newsletter? Many apologies to everyone for the delay.

There is so much to talk about that I’m sure another newsletter will follow shortly. We are extremely excited about the year ahead; there is much to contemplate and lots of opportunities for members to come aboard and join the crew on voyages.

Veteran's Memories of "Days of Hell" at Dunkirk - Finlay Marshall

When Dunkirk veteran David Wightman recently contacted Paul Gilson, our own roving reporter, Finlay Marshall was quickly engaged to meet with him at his home in Laindon.

They are a dwindling band of warriors these days. When they were young they had gone into what became the ‘phoney war’ landing in France to fight Hitler's fascist army. In early May 1940 the Battle of France began and within three weeks the British Expeditionary Force was retreating towards the beaches of Dunkirk.

David Wightman was a medical orderly with 125 Field Ambulance tending the wounded of the 42nd Division. Within three weeks the BEF was encircled around the French town and being bombed and shelled night and day.

Margaret White-Wrixon

In the April 2013 newsletter we carried a story of Endeavour being used as an escort vessel for Margaret White, who was in training for a swim across the English Channel. Two members informed us that we had incorrectly captioned the accompanying photograph (see left). The couple with Margaret were not Melville and Doris Chadwick, but despite our best efforts we had been unable to correct our error... until now!

Educational and Community Programme

Peter Dolby has been busy over the winter with two talks to local community groups; Links at Leigh Road Baptist Church and Age Concern in Westcliff.

There was also a first when Peter was invited to talk at the Royal Corinthian YC in Burnham.

Winter Blues

Those readers local to Leigh will have noticed that Endeavour was still afloat on her summer mooring, mast down and looking a little miserable, well into March. This is to explain why and how she will look spritely once again in time for the upcoming events. She had her mast lowered to go under the bridges above Tower Bridge for the A.D.L.S. Veteran’s Cruise last year– these do not open to allow clearance. 

Anne Hinton van't Hoff’s photograph graphically shows Endeavour on her mooring in choppy seas

Merchandise and Memorabilia

The more events that we participate in, the more we recognise how vitally important they are as a platform, not only to tell the Endeavour story, but to fund raise and to recruit new members.

Finlay and Linda Marshall have put their minds together and have come up with three new items of merchandise to go alongside our sweatshirts, t shirts, prints and cards.

Summer Reception

• Thursday 30th June – from 7 pm

• Osborne Bros, Billet Wharf, High Street, Leigh-on-Sea, SS9 2ER

• Individual portions of hot and cold delights served by waiting staff

• £14 per person

• Drinks available from the Crooked Billet PH 

•  Come and join trustees, committee members, fellow members and guests

• Beautiful views providing a stunning backdrop for a summer’s experience of al fresco dining

• Endeavour after her recent return from participating in the commemorative cruise to Ramsgate will be on her creek mooring

• Traditional shanty and chorus songs by the popular Hoy Shanty Crew 

• Ample parking, free after 6 pm, is available in nearby car parks and on Belton Bridge 

• Please contact Peter Dolby to confirm your booking
  

•  Please forward your remittance using the tear off slip on the linked PDF.