Squadron 8th Annual Dinner
Saturday 20th November 2004

Saturday morning saw Squadron members manning Old Sarum airfield waiting to greet fellow diners who had booked to come by air. The weather had very different ideas however, serving up low cloud and freezing drizzle to force all but the brave or cunning to travel by road. One exception was Colin and Valerie Ferbrache who had wisely flown in from Guernsey in Friday’s sunshine, their Rockwell Commander, just visible, parked on the soggy grass in front of the clubhouse. After a pleasant lunch we all repaired to the Grasmere Hotel in Salisbury sure in the knowledge that no-one could possibly aviate in such unfriendly weather. This conception was to be completely confounded later however by the welcome sound of Mike Smith’s R44 alighting on the rainy Grasmere lawn all the intrepid way from Wellesbourne Mountford. Just shows what can be done if you are really good.

The actual dinner this year more than made up for the gloomy skies, breaking previous attendance records with sixty two members and guests enjoying the fine fare of Dale Naugs hotel. Our principal guest Mr Gerald Howarth MP gave an excellent briefing on life as an MP and filled us all with hope of great things in store ‘come the revolution’, He was certainly encouraging with support for the two new carriers, but also mentioned the two year gap when the Fleet will be virtually defenceless before the new generation of naval aircraft are in service.
Fiona Nicholas expertly provided the ladies with a much needed set of rules governing life married to a naval aviator for the great amusement of all. We were grateful to Douglas MacDonald for delivering an entertaining brief on life at the nerve centre of The Fleet Air Arm Officers Association. Much to the delight of everyone Denis Woodhams had us all in fits of laughter again with more merry musings from the Arrow Mill and Phil Moore led the assembled throng in a topical rendition of the Squadron song.

In recognition of their outstandingly intrepid support of squadron events flying their most perfect Pulsar, Eve Bonham Cozens presented Tony and Jill Ashmead with a propeller clock from the Squadron.

The whole event was organised and presided over immaculately by our “Boss” Michael Bonham Cozens who once again proved able to beat the odds with an event even better than last year. We are all greatly in his debt not only for crafting such an excellent dinner but for having the idea of a Fleet Air Arm Squadron in the first place !

Report by Phil Moore.