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The Kier Fellowship News The magazine for the Loughton & Witham area Fellowship Trust | Issue 23 | Summer ‘19 GOOD NEWS AREA GOLF DAY BARMY ARMY IN SRI LANKA PAGE 10 PAGE 11 PAGES 12-14 A warm welcome from your committee www.fellowship.kier.co.uk 1
Fellowship News Issue 23 | Contents Editor’s notes | Introduction Editor’s notes Contents Welcome to the 2019 summer edition of The Fellowship Newsletter. What a wonderful, hot, sunny and sporty summer we are having. I hope you will find time to break away from whatever you are doing to enjoy 3 • Editor’s notes reading this newsletter. In addition to the usual articles covering our Welcome to the 23rd 07746 463902 events since the last publication there is an excellent commentary on a jimbo52.mc@hotmail.co.uk 4 • Lunch with Speaker, Mulberry House issue of The Fellowship canal journey that will be of particular interest to all you engineers. For • Mountbatton Festival of Music, News magazine. cricket fans there is a fascinating and detailed report from the Barmy Army Test Match Tour of Sri 5 Royal Albert Hall Without your interest and Lanka (from our man on the inside). And I have introduced a ‘Good News’ feature celebrating some support this magazine of the happy events of our members. 6 • Spring Buffet, Mulberry House cannot exist. As much This newsletter is issued slightly later than usual as the last article included is the Summer Lunch at 7 • Company news feedback as possible is Mulberry House which was a late substitute for the cancelled Summer Garden Party at Tempsford 8/9 • Great Canal Journey always welcomed and Hall that normally comprises our final summer event. There is more information on the Garden Party can be directed to your cancellation on page 7. 10 • Good news editor, Jim McCluskey. All Unfortunately, two of our other planned events: the Boat Trip and Brewery Tour (25 July) and 11 • Area Golf Day feedback will be taken Chelmsford Racing (29 August) have had to be cancelled due to administration issues beyond into consideration when our control. On each occasion we were informed that our original enquires had not been recorded 12-14 • Barmy Army in Sri Lanka designing the next issue and when it came time to finalise the bookings there was no availability. It is the intention of the of the Fellowship News. committee to include both of these events in the programme for next year 15 • Deceased members Andrea Lorraine Designs In the meantime, let’s all continue to enjoy this amazing 16 • Summer Lunch, Mulberry House and contacts summer wherever you are and I look forward to seeing you at the Spit Roast Dinner at Blakes Golf Course on Events 2019/20 17 September. 13 Happy holidays. Jim McCluskey Date Event Cost Cover picture: Buddha at Peraliya - the Friday 23 August 2019 National Golf Day £45.00 pp Tsunami Memorial , Sri Lanka Tuesday 17 September 2019 Spit Roast at Blakes Golf Club £16.00 pp Wednesday 20 November 2019 Thursford Spectacular December 2019 Christmas Lunch, Little Channels £45.00 pp £23.00 pp January ‘20 Thursday 20 February 2019 Lunch with a speaker, Mulberry House £23.00 pp Royal Opera House, Backstage Tour Features for the next edition of March 2020 £35.00 pp and lunch the Fellowship News! Thursday 23 April 2019 Spring Lunch, Mulberry House Please send all features to Jim Letters will be issued as usual to all who have expressed an interest in any of the McCluskey by no later than the these events. above date. Many thanks! 2 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 3
Events | Lunch with Speaker, Mulberry House Mountbatten Festival of Music Review | Events Lunch with Speaker, Mountbatten Festival Mulberry House 6 of Music Review 16 February ‘19 March ‘19 FORTY MEMBERS ATTENDED THE FESTIVAL OF MUSIC AT THE ROYAL ALBERT HALL wide range of musical styles, including music from the big screen, superb solo items, as well as marches and overtures that proved a big hit with the audience. Having negotiated heavy Towards the end of the traffic during our journey who was the Honorary Music concert we all joined in Advisor to the Royal Marines from Chigwell, we arrived singing well known songs, to be entertained by the for over 20 years. In 1980 which from a full house the festival was renamed in Massed Bands of Her reverberated throughout Majesty’s Royal Marines honour of Earl Mountbatten the auditorium of the Royal of Burma, who was Life Our guest speaker, Gary Powell performing to a full house Albert Hall. It made you feel of enthusiastic audience. Colonel Commandant of very proud to be British! the Royal Marines until his On 6 February we returned During his career he of some of London’s iconic The concert displayed the We were very fortunate at untimely death in 1979. to Mulberry House for our developed a keen interest in squares. We learned a little outstanding versatility of having exceptionally good second annual lunch with the architecture of London’s of the origins of the London some of the world’s finest seats with uninterrupted a speaker. Sixty-one Squares and combined this Square but a lot about those military musicians and they views of the performance in members, partners and with his career experience ‘good and evil’ who left were given the ‘West End the Rausing Circle. guests enjoyed their choice when writing his first book their mark on them i.e. the treatment’ with spectacular of a two-course lunch ‘Square London.’ demise of Peter Pan, the last lighting effects. All the members commented followed by tea or coffee. person to be hanged for the that they had thoroughly His talk was based upon this murder of a police officer in enjoyed the festival and Afterwards we enjoyed a book and entitled ‘A Coppers Britain, a peer of the realm thought it was an excellent fascinating talk by our Guide to the Dark Secrets with a very dark secret and event to attend. guest speaker Gary Powell. of London’s Squares.’ The proceeds from the many more stories, including festival will go to The Royal Gary is a published author anecdotes from his life as The Mountbatten Festival who joined the British Gary told us about of Music was originally Marines Charity and to CLIC unsavoury residents and a detective. Sargent, directly supporting Transport Police in London The festival sees the Royal conceived to honour the at the age of 18 and served shocking incidents adding a connection between the our serving personnel, Marines showcase their for 33 years until he retired. colourful tone to the history John Abbott Royal Marines Band Service veterans and their families. incredible musicianship and pageantry and featured a and Sir Malcolm Sargent Chris Oats 4 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 5
Events | Spring Buffet, Mulberry House Company news | Please note Spring Buffet, 4 UNSOLICITED CALLS/COLD CALLS WARNING TO SHAREHOLDERS: Mulberry House BOILER ROOM SCAMS April ‘19 We have been made aware that certain Kier Group plc shareholders have received unsolicited telephone calls from fraudulent Our annual spring buffet was held on companies offering to buy Kier Group plc Thursday 4 April for the first time at a new shares at a substantial premium to the current venue – Mulberry House Hotel, Ongar. market price. These calls are usually from overseas companies targeting UK shareholders. These operations are commonly known as ‘BOILER ROOM SCAMS’ and the callers can be extremely persuasive and persistent. There are different types of scams in operation and shareholders are advised to be Brian, Reg, Jack, Roy and Derek wary of any unsolicited advice. Further information can be found on the attached ScamSmart document from the FCA or by visiting the FCA website: https://www.fca.org.uk/scamsmart Numbers were slightly down from last year Tempsford Garden with 91 members and guests attending. All agreed that it was a resounding success. The venue and the buffet were very good and everyone appeared to enjoy themselves Party... cancellation with lots of conversation around the tables and the usual teasing and banter. We intend to go back to Mulberry House for John Abbott gave a small speech outlining the spring buffet next year. our proposed events for 2019 and this was followed by the drawing of the raffle. Geoff Brown STATEMENT FROM GROUP... “2018/2019 has been a year of significant change and challenge for Kier. In recognition of the challenge that the business faces, a review of the Group is underway, announced by Andrew Davies, the new Kier CEO who joined in April. This review will focus on three areas: simplifying the group, net debt reduction and cash. Consequently the group is focusing on all areas of its cost base and this is resulting in head count and budget reductions. In recognition of this, this review covers all discretionary budget spend. Consequently, the budget for the Kier Fellowship Garden Party event has been reviewed and the decision has been taken by management to cancel the event.” Paul, Rob, Bob, Christine, Lynn, John, Chris and Alan Ladies who lunch 6 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 7
Feature | Great Canal Journey Great Canal Journey | Feature Great Canal Journey time but unfortunately it 1,000,000 tons of goods counterweights removed proved unreliable. The main recorded until the Second and left adjacent to the lift problem was that hydraulic World War when traffic at the Visitors Centre. oil had not been discovered declined significantly. and so the fluid in the The Anderton Boat Lift is THE ANDERTON BOAT LIFT hydraulic system was water In the period following the war with less traffic, the only one of its kind and is scheduled under and, with all the salt around, the components rusted lack of maintenance and the Ancient Monuments This July, Carol and I, along the nationalisation of the and Archaeological Areas quickly and the seals in the with two friends, decided canals, the lift became Act 1979. It is subject to rams kept failing. to tackle the Cheshire more and more unreliable The Lifting Operations Ring on a Narrow Boat. A solution was proposed and, following a couple and Lifting Equipment The Cheshire Ring is, as and implemented in 1906 of potentially serious Regulations 1998 (LOLER) the name would suggest, by Colonel J.A. Saner to accidents, it was taken out and is operated by the a circular route around the scrap the hydraulic system of service in 1983. Canal and River Trust. south of Manchester and and convert the lift to cable uses the Macclesfield, Peak operation with a system Fast forward to 1997, * The others are: The Forest, Ashton, Rochdale, was primarily commissioned of three feet in diameter. of counterweights. It was following public appeals, Pontcysyllte Aqueduct, Clwyd, Bridgewater and Trent & by two industries: the The clever bit of course at this time that all the fund raising, Heritage The Falkirk Wheel, Falkirk, Mersey Canals. The highlight potteries wanted access is that the trough weighs cogs and headgear in the Lottery funds and funding Stirlingshire, The Caen Hill from British Waterways Flight, Devizes, Wiltshire, The of the ring, and to be honest to the river Weaver and the same full of water as it photographs were added. Standedge Tunnel, Standedge, the main reason that we hence to Liverpool for does with a boat and water, This time, power was Board, the decision was near Marsden, West Yorkshire chose it, is The Anderton exporting their goods; and since the boat displaces its supplied by a 30 horsepower taken to restore the lift to its and The Bingley Five Rise Boat Lift. One of the seven the salt mines along the weight of water (Archimedes electric motor and the original hydraulic operation, Locks, Bingley, West Yorkshire. wonders of the canal world* river Weaver wanted access Principle). The only power conversion was carried out this time using hydraulic oil and sometimes known as to the canal system to that was needed to operate working 24-hours a day with and an electric motor. Cost the Cathedral of the Canals. distribute their product. (The the lift was a ten-horse two ‘possession’ periods: of the restoration was £7m ‘wich’ in the town names power steam engine. 19 days in April and then 10 and work commenced in along the river, Northwich, days in August. The cost was March 2000 with the official Middlewich, Nantwich etc, The contract for the £25,869. re-opening on 26 March comes from ‘wych-house’ – fabrication and erection of 2002. The headgear from an ancient word for a place the lift was let to Emmerson Operation of the lift became the 1906 conversion was for making salt). Murgatroyd & Co. Ltd of far more reliable with left in place for historical Stockport for £28,420. annual tonnages of 75,000- interest and the cables & The design of the lift by Somewhat higher than the Edwin Clark was ingenious original estimated cost of The Anderton Boat Lift and relied on the principles £12,000! It took 30 months was opened in July 1875 discovered by Archimedes to build. The final cost was as a commercial response around 250 BC. Two cast £48,428. Some things to the costly problem of iron troughs filled with water never change! moving goods between the are connected by a hydraulic River Weaver and the Trent system and as one goes The completed lift & Mersey canal – a level down, the other comes up, was hailed as a great difference of 50 feet. It operated by enormous rams engineering triumph at the 8 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 9
Events | Good news Area Golf Day | Events Good news! Area Golf Day 14 ON 14 MAY WE HAD OUR YEARLY HALF DAY AT ABRIDGE GOLF CLUB, Pat’s 90th Birthday! ATTENDED BY 15 GOLFERS OF MIXED ABILITY May ‘19 Patricia Wojcik celebrated her 90th birthday at Mulberry Set in 240 acres of beautiful parklands with excellent views of the countryside it is House with all her family and home to major amateur golf tournaments a few old friends. All organised including the South East Regional by daughter Carolyn. A good Open Qualifier. time was had by all! If I recall correctly there had been much rain beforehand but we had a glorious day. Buggies were allowed which is great for us oldies with worn out knees etc! Pip’s 90th Birthday! We enjoyed our bacon roll and coffee as usual on arrival and then ventured out onto the A celebration course. Later there followed a very pleasant dinner. was held on 20 July at the Pat at 90 years young John Barleycorn restaurant near Harlow for ll winne r dams: overa Pip Pitts and Derek A Pip & Peggy his wife Peggy. The overall winner was It was a dual occasion as Pip was 90 years Derek Adams. Roy Ellis of age and days away was Pip and Peggy’s won the Front 9 and Paul 65th Wedding Anniversary. John Spray Goddard the Back 9 as well toasts Pip Paul Goddard: winner of Nearest the Pin Malcolm Burton: winner of the Longest Drive More than 40 friends and family, best man as Nearest the Pin. Pip says a few words and the remaining bridesmaid enjoyed a Malcolm Burton had the lovely dinner, entertainment, toasts and longest drive. speeches afterwards. The course was very In attendance from Kier were John Spray, challenging and many Pearl Smeeton, Harold Thompson, golfers present would say: John Stanford and Duncan Mort and “I could have been better,” their wives. however, we all enjoyed the Congratulations to Pip and Peggy. Here’s day and the camaraderie. hoping there are many more to come! Pearl, John & Yvonne Roy Ellis: winner of the Front 9 Paul Goddard: winner of the Back 9 John Spray 10 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 11
Feature | Barmy Army in Sri Lanka Barmy Army in Sri Lanka | Feature Barmy Army in Sri Lanka Our allocated hotel was the Jelwing hotel, We survived the daily coach trip which each day Dambulla, which is excellent and in beautiful was a white-knuckle ride! surroundings. Unfortunately, this was a two-hour drive from the ground. A five-day match – four By the way, Kandy is in the highlands and an TEST MATCH SPECIAL hours in a coach each day. attractive region of Sri Lanka. Very cultural with the famous Temple of the Tooth and others which on I have been going on overseas cricket tours for The Test Match was a success for England and this trip I did not do. many years and have been fortunate to visit we won by 211 runs. The weather was dry and hot Australia, New Zealand, South Africa, West Indies, albeit there was horrendous rain in the evening and India and Sri Lanka. When asked I say I am on the night before the 4th day. A late start we thought, fringe of the Barmy Army, in the shade rather than but no, the ground staff were brilliant and the in the sun! I always go with the same tour group match started on time. For cricket fans it was the and now have many friends across the UK as I final test for Rangava Hevatch, the great Sri Lankan have seen them on many tours. spinner, who is quite a hero there. Jennings scored 146 not out. On one evening we had Matt Prior for My last one was a second visit to Sri Lanka to watch our celebrity guest. Our daily Police escort the Three Test Matches which I prefer rather than the one-day games. Exciting I know but I call it: “hit We visited a spice garden in Mutale and were The Minister of Sport arranged for a police escort and run” cricket. As they say, a Test Match is to test shown different spices, how they are grown and which reduced the travel time to one hour 20 Buddhist Temple in Colombo your skills in the game. used in food and medicine. Then followed a river minutes. They parted the traffic like Moses parting trip where we saw a Manitou lizard over 3m long, We headed for the Cultural Triangle at Herbaria on the Red Sea. Our coach driver was superb. How he blue monkeys and birds including a few Kingfishers. the way seeing the Dambulla Rock Temple dating never hit anything was amazing! He drove fast and They are much bigger than in the UK. We also back to the 1st century BC. The Buddhist monks he got a big tip. The towns we went through were stopped on a small island where a family lived in used five caves with over 2,000sq.m of painted difficult but the police managed it and the people very basic conditions and showed us how cinnamon walls and over 150 Buddha figures being 14m long. looked at us thinking we were royalty! sticks were prepared by hand. The Test Match commenced and England were We then drove to Nuwara Eliya, a six and a half hour soon 89 for four wickets. Curran made 64 with journey, for a cultural visit. It is at 6,200ft and was six 6’s and were all out for 290. The weather was a hill station for the British for the cool climate. It usually OK but we did have heavy rain on day four. was built to recreate England with a golf club. The England won by 57 runs. Hill Club still insists on jacket and tie after 7pm Old fishing boat at Negombo – now used for tourist sailing trips every day. There are many tea plantations around. Our celebrity guest was Darren Gough who told the I arrived in Negombo and stayed in a lovely ladies (yes they have many ladies on these tours) Some of us went to the remote Horton Plains beachside Hotel overnight. We then travelled to his mum told him to accept the invitation for Strictly National Park where there is a remarkable ‘Worlds Ealle for the first Test Come Dancing although he could not dance at all. End.’ This is a precipice nearly vertical which drops Match. Ealle is a historic 4,300ft. There are no fences (health and safety fortified city which was the non-existent) but you are advised not to go near the major port until the British edge. Sadly, the day before our visit an Australian A scene from the Dambulla Cave Temple expanded Colombo during girl was killed as she toppled over the edge. the 19th century. The From Habarana we visited the Sigiriya Rock Fortress cricket ground is not We now travel to Kandy for the 2nd test – or so we built in the 5th century. The rock is 200m high picturesque as it looks up thought. We had heard rumours that the Sri Lankan with a precarious walkway which is not for the faint to the ramparts. Many authorities had not booked a hotel for the teams hearted. A fabulous view when on top. John at the turtle sanctuary supporters watch from up and umpires – unbelievable but true! A political there for free! It was the Dutch who constructed storm erupted and the Minister of Sport kicked out Next we went on a jeep safari to the Minneriya a classic-red roofed colonial city and ramparts in all the tourists in the Regency Hotel – a great hotel National Park which covers 34sq.m of forest and circa 1640-60 after evicting the Portuguese. The near the ground. You will have now guessed that we shrub with hundreds of elephants and birds. If John and the tour bus British arrived and evicted the Dutch in 1796. were in that hotel! lucky you may see sambur deer and leopards – we 12 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 FellowshipNews Fellowship News||Loughton Loughton&&Witham Withamarea area|| Issue 23 | Summer 2019 13
Feature | Barmy Army in Sri Lanka Obituaries | Please note Deceased did not! At the hotel we had monitor lizards and monkeys in the grounds. The next day we toured Anurandhapura which was Sri Lanka’s first capital in the 4th century BC. It is members a grand ancient site with enormous Dagobas (a unique creation of ancient Sri Lanka) a vast palace and Buddha statues. The sacred Bo-Tree is the 3rd Test Match, Colombo oldest in the world being over 2,300 years old. The 2nd day was once again very hot. England were all out for 336. Bairstow scored 110. Sri Lanka then had a collapse. Five wickets falling for 35 runs. All out for 240. Rashid took five wickets for John Walstow 49 runs. Bad light stopped play with 30 overs to go. In the evening we had a buffet meal with our guest John Walstow, also known as ‘Big John’ or Jonathan Agnew. He was a good speaker and we Johnny Walstow’ sadly passed away on enjoyed his cricket stories. Also, he wished me a 19 March 2019. Jacqui Towler happy birthday and signed my card! John was born on 23 February 1925 in Loughton. He It is with regret to announce The 3rd and 4th day we joined W&C French at Buckhurst Hill in 1942, some four that Jacqui Towler, a popular saw England win the match and series 3-0. The years later he was ‘called up’, but returned to the company member of Alan Cope’s Peraliya Buddha Statue – Tsunami Memorial weather was still hot and in early 1948. He was known as an ‘outside fitter’ so team during our days at 188 sunny, however, on the 3rd went to various contracts which at that time included a High Road, passed away We now head for Colombo day a time of very strong considerable number of airfields. During the subsequent on 11 May 2019. Our which was a four-hour drive that saw good scenery, winds badly damaged our years W&C French grew as a company. In the very early thoughts are with her stand but nobody was hurt. 1960s he was asked if he could work on tower cranes so husband Derek at this sad paddy fields, numerous villages/towns etc. As in We now had a spare day under initial training with Babcocks and Wilcox he took time. She was the sister of India, children going to Jonathan Agnew (Aggers) and toured Colombo in the wishes John a Happy Birthday charge of the company’s growing number of tower cranes. Barbara Plackett. school are dressed coach – Sri Lanka’s largest His first ‘solo’ contract was Olten Street Poplar. After that immaculately and put School children always in very city and one of the biggest ports in the Indian contracts included The Princess Alexandra Hospital Harlow, Ian Burnell some of ours to shame. smart uniforms Ocean. It is a teeming, modern business city with the Woolworths Building in High Harlow, Burmah Oil Building Sadly passed away on good hotels, restaurants, lovely beaches and fine Swindon, New Hall College Cambridge, Halls of Residence Arriving in the excellent Taj Samuda Hotel we had 16 February 2019. colonial architecture. a cocktail evening and the following day the 3rd for Queen Marys College at Woodford, Unilever Building in Test began. During the trip I met Geoff Lindsey-Smith and Indy Burgess Hill. Keith Rann Muttucamara who were also watching the cricket. England batted getting 312 for seven before Years passed, French’s had moved to their depot in Harlow Sadly passed away on bad light stopped play. In the evening we dined One item I forget to mention when I arrived and John became a charge-hand in the workshops, but still 14 March aged 74. at the Cricket Club café which was full of cricket in Negombo at the start – we got to eat at a carrying out safety inspections on the company’s cranes on memorabilia and run by an Australian lady. restaurant called ‘Lords’ which had various cricket various contracts. Dennis Tarrant memorabilia. The menu was cricket themed. After the company merger and the closure of the Harlow Sadly passed away on All in all, a very enjoyable holiday. Sri Lanka is 6 June 2019. definitely worth a visit. The people are friendly and depot, John was made redundant. Following a short time their culture goes back to the 4th century BC. The as a facilities fitter, John secured a position in the Pattern Duncan Brand elephant is important and apparently 2,500 roam Room at the Royal Small Arms at Enfield. This included in nature reserves and protected areas. their move to Nottingham, where he stayed until his Sadly passed away on Colombo Test Match retirement in 1990. 30 July 2019. John Spray 14 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019 FellowshipNews Fellowship News||Loughton Loughton&&Witham Withamarea area|| Issue 23 | Summer 2019 15
Events | Summer Lunch, Mulberry House and contacts Summer Lunch, 7 Mulberry House August ‘19 On Wednesday 7 August, 49 of our members and their guests assembled at Mulberry House for a Summer Lunch. This event was scheduled to replace the Windsor Boat Trip and Horse racing events that had to be cancelled. We will, incidentally, try to re-arrange both of those next year as we know that a number of you were looking forward to them. The ‘brains’ of the outfit with quiz-master John Abbott There was a lot of catching up and conversation before we settled down to enjoy a delicious two-course lunch with wine. The food is always an excellent standard at Mulberry House. After tea and coffee had been served our quiz-master started the specially designed, summer themed, quiz. We had three rounds, TV and film, summer miscellany and summer music. A lot of fun was had by all of the participants and the worthy winners are shown alongside and each received their individual prizes: ‘do it yourself gin’ and ‘tonic hampers.’ A good afternoon! John Abbott FELLOWSHIP COMMITTEE • Derek Bryant VERY IMPORTANT: Please remember to always notify us when you have a change of address. • Alan Cope • Chris Oats John Abbott: 07768 467976: john@bythorne.co.uk • John Spray Geoff Brown, 07502 582950, 01353 648 110, geoffbrown42@sky.com • Theresa Walstow 16 Fellowship News | Loughton & Witham area | Issue 23 | Summer 2019
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