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CFIVA News
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GRAND CHRISTMAS REUNION Friday, December 15, 2006 Our Grand Christmas Reunion duly occurred on a chilly Saturday, 13th December 2006 in Londons capital of chic, Chelsea thanks to the inclusion of a visit to the world famous Royal Hospital, traditional home of the Chelsea Pensioners. We rendezvousd at a nearby Pub, the Crown, popular with in-pensioners who like to drink off base. The reunion was very well attended, with members travelling from as far afield as Finland. One of our members came over from the United States only to fall seriously ill and spent most of his visit in hospital. We reported to the guardroom of the Royal Hospital where we met our guide, one of the men in scarlet in-pensioner Sergeant Charles McLaughlin who, in addition to being an Irishman with long service in the British Army also served as... yes, a foreign volunteer in the Rhodesian Army during that countrys war against Robert Mugabe. This coincidence made our visit all the more interesting and rewarding. Founded in 1682 by King Charles the Second to provide succour and relief of veterans the Royal Hospital, with its Grade 1 listed buildings still serves its original purpose into the 21st century. Its residents are famous the world over for their scarlet tunics and tricorne hats. The Hospital can accommodate more than three hundred veterans and at the time of our visit a new wing was under construction and they were about to admit female veterans for the first time. There is a fabulous Harry Potter-style mess hall with captured battle standards hanging from the rafters, a beautiful chapel, infirmary, gymnasium, offices, a very interesting museum and a fully functional bar. Pensioners are still accommodated in small, wood-panelled cabins although this is all about to change with the installation of en-suite rooms throughout the 324 year old complex. Sergeant McLaughlin proved himself a fascinating and amusing guide, quickly establishing a rapport with his somewhat unusual guests. At the conclusion of our visit, we were very pleased that Charles joined us for a drink in the National Army Museum nearby and were proud to present him with an extremely generous tip. We also presented to the Royal Hospital a wall plaque bearing the emblem of the Croatian Forces International Volunteers Association, which now hangs proudly amongst the many hundreds of others in the Hospital bar. The day rounded off inevitably at the Pub, with a number of prizes awarded and the presentation of a bravery award to our member Richard Hanton (see separate news article). We later received these messages: Thanks for organising an excellent trip to Chelsea Hospital for us. Those who were unable to attend missed a real treat thanks also to Lars for the "cold tea" he bought along to refresh us throughout the afternoon. This is just to thank you and the other guys for an excellent reunion in London. The guys were great; Lars even presented me a CD with French chancons and Croatian songs so now my neighbours have had a chance to enjoy them too :-) Please give my greetings to the others if you see them. I will try to be there next year too. I am glad to hear the Christmas reunion went well and wish I could have been there. Logistical difficulties and a surprise stay as a guest of the NHS at the Royal Berkshire Hospital in Reading with several pulmonary emboli confounded my plans. However, I am now safely back in the US. I wish everyone a very Merry Christmas and a Happy New Year!For more information about the Royal Hospital, Chelsea or to make them a donation, go to: www.chelsea-pensioners.org.uk
CFIVA |
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