Prompted by a lengthy description of Eric Pigdon's memories of the job of Honorary Secretary to Jever Steam Laundry [see below],
I have done a complete audit of the files as I hold them and discovered several Calling Notices which I had missed before.
I have added these to the web site and also some critical reference letters under the appropriate years. I have listed
previous holders of the title of President and Hon Sec.
The dates I have chosen for each person's period as Secretary is based on the first document that mentions his name. In fact
he may have taken over well before that date - but that is a start. If you click on the numbered reference documents under each
person's name it will take you to that document.
Each AGM is on its own line and if it is in green then clicking on it will take you to the information on the web site about that
event. If it is not in green then there is no information for that year.
I would like shareholders who may remember more about who did what and when to let me know by e-mail to mick_ryan@dial.pipex.com
or call me on 01732-453530.
Eric Pigdon sent me some very interesting information, also confirmed by Pat King about some of the middle years. If anyone can pin
down which year that these events occurred then please let me know.
"I was asked to take on the job of secretary by Bob Holiday while I was on the Weapons Employment Course April to July 1970 while
Bob was an instructor. His rational was that he had carried out the task for a number of years and in July he would be leaving the
College Staff to go back to flying duties while I would be joining the College Staff on a ground tour for a number of years.
I agreed and was presented with the old files and notes and organised the AGM in Jan 1971 and for a quite a number of years before
eventually handing over and transferring all the files to Pat King who was stationed at High Wycombe. For the period of time I did
the secretary's job starting in 1970 [confusing since Bob was sec in 73/74?] we about five more years then quite quickly found Dirty
Dicks closed on the night we got there. In fact it was a low year (date unknown) for numbers only three of us arriving Pat King,
Andy Mcnae and myself arrived, the Pub was in darkness. After standing in the doorway for some time we decided that it was time
for a beer and transferred our waiting station to the pub bar on the opposite corner from Dirty dicks. The bar windows had half
curtains and we appointed Andy, who was tall enough to see over the curtains to keep a look out for any other arrivals. We waited
for a few hours, consumed a number of beers before calling an end and went off for some food and then on our way, promising to get
more there the next year. The following year at short notice Pat King sorted out a place near Shepard's Market and Pat and I, met
up at High Wycombe Railway Station, went to Dirty Dicks and put a notice on the door, with details of the new venue. On arrival
at the new venue we found that it was closed, so after yet another notice, (written on the cardboard bottom of a beer box from the
Chinese supermarket) on a bar door we decamped to the Club and had a reasonable night with about 15 members present, John Marquis
eventually arriving having walked from Dirty Dicks to the other venue and then to the Club. The following year Pat found us a pub
by Piccadilly but we did not have a private room and had groups of tourists and their guide trouping through the bar, so the vote
was to find something better for the following year. It was at this point that I believe Pat handed over the secretary's job to
? Barry Dale or if not him someone who was working in Adastral House who found The Three Compasses pub in High Holborn.
This was OK for a number of years, eventually with food being available at one end of the bar, then it was only open for us.
Jeff Jeffrey took over as secretary during this period and it was he at short notice was told that it would not be available and
we got the Clachen off Fleet Street. Two years and it was taken over, and change of name to Serjeants, after two more years it
closed and not available so on to The Horse.
In the early years when we were travelling through Liverpool Street Station on our way to Germany many of us used the Old Coaching
Inn, 'Dirty Dicks' situated across from the side entrance into the Station while waiting for the train to Harwich. This was
partially when returning to camp after UK leave when one had a small amount of kit, knew the train was dry and that others in the
same situation would call in. It was a great place to visit, very old with a ground floor bar, floor covered in sawdust and a bar
almost the length of the room on the right, while on the left a food bar laden with cold cuts of ham, beef, turkey, pork pies etc.
where one could ensure that the inner man had more that just beer. The lower floor was in many respects more interesting, almost
always crowded out, everyone shuffling through the sawdust to get to the bar which was completely covered with old bank notes from
around the world pinned up, many with messages scrawled across them. There was an old Mummified Cat pinned up on the bar front,
much rubbed and disgusting, the idea was that if you were prepared to give the cat a stroke your wish would be rewarded, the barman
entered into the patter regarding the history of the cat and the granting of wishes. He would keep an eye out for anyone starting
to stroke the cat and would pull a cord which caused the cat to leap up the wall, causing great fright and shouts of horror.
It was with memories of this great central pub that it was chosen as the meeting place for the first Steam Laundry Meeting. As the
years went by the bar food reduced and the long evening of the reunions were split up into beers, chat out to one or other of the
small food establishments nearby and back to the bar for more beer with the crowd slowly thinning as imbibers departed for the last
trains home. Many of the remainder made their way to the RAF Club where they were staying and to keep the bar open there. Quite a
number of others made their way to the Turkish Bath House in Jermin Street where for £1 one could have a Turkish Bath and spend the
night on one of the many resting beds, and be woken up with a cup of tea, almost ready to face the world.
The arrangements for the beers in the early years was a £1 on the bar, drink what one wanted and perhaps later on there would be a
call for a little more cash to keep the float going. Over the years the £1 became £5 with normally a little cash left at the end
of the evening that went towards the secretaries next years expenses. We had a little problem one year with a rogue barman over
charging and pocketing cash from the float that it is now a loose arrangement depending on the landlord, some accepting a £20
/head float or not.
Printing and postage of the calling notices has been well taken care of over the years, someone in a service job that could get
the copying done and postage looked after, I provided the printing and postage through my company for a number of years then
Peter Bains in his position on the Rolls Royce Club took over the task more recently we have to thank Mick Ryan for taking on this
quite expensive role. 2008 has seen the start of the e-mail and 2009 should perhaps be all e-mail for news, replies and bookings."
Comment by Web Master: Sadly only about 50% of our shareholders on the mailing list have valid e-mail addresses - so some postage
must be continued.
From - To Rank Initials & Name Address Telephone/E-mail
President:
9Nov15- Air Cdre (Retd) Bill Maish 10, Jemmetts Close, Dorchester on Thames, Oxon, OX10 7RA 01865-341580
15Mar08-8Nov15 Air Cdre (Retd) Pat King 119 West Street, Helpston, Peterborough, Cambs PE6 7DU 01733-252937.
13Jan90-15Mar08 Air Cdre (Retd) Ken K J Goodwin Auldcroft, Plud Street, Wedmore, Somerset BS28 4BE 01934 712228
Jan85-13Jan90 Air Cdre (Retd) Pat King 119 West Street, Helpston, Peterborough, Cambs PE6 7DU 01733-252937.
28Dec57- Sqn Ldr (Retd) Dougie D T Adamson Oak Gates, 6 Woodlands Road, Great Shelford, Cambs CB2 5LW 01223-843548
1-Shipley to Adamson and Goodwin 5Dec57
Web Master:
21Mar04 - Now Wg Cdr Mick Ryan Far End, Chipstead Lane, Sevenoaks, Kent TN13 2RG 01732-453530 mick_ryan@dial.pipex.com
Secretary:
From - To Rank Initials & Name Nos AGM Date Location Address
28Dec57-1Nov58 Air Cdre (Retd) Ken J Goodwin CBE AFC RAF Jever
1-Shipley to Adamson and Goodwin 5Dec57
Dougie Adamson recalls that the actual formation 10 1st Bd Govs 55/56 RAF Jever
was done at the bar- where else? - and He, Ian Craig, Curly Hirst and Ken Goodwin were all present.
Ian even drew a plan and 3-d picture of the proposed Laundry.
15 1957 28Dec57 Dirty Dick's
1Nov58-27Dec58 Wg Cdr (Retd) Curly P J Hirst Little Rissington
2-calling notice Curly Hirst 1Nov58 3-mins 27Dec58 mtg
30 1958 27Dec58 Dirty Dick's
27Dec58-20Dec62 Flt Lt (Retd) Bebe B B Sharman RAF Jever
3-Bebe mins of AGM 27Dec58
? 1959 3Jan59 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
43 1960 2Jan60 Dirty Dick's
? 1961 7Jan61 Dirty Dick's
? 1962 13Jan62 Dirty Dick's
20Dec62-6May63 Sqn Ldr (Retd) Robin Sandle Finningley
4-Letter to Barkers booking 5Jan63 dated 20Dec62
? 1963 5Jan63 Dirty Dick's
6May63-4Jan64 Flt Lt (Retd) Dave Watt Oxshott, Surrey
5-letter from Robin Sandle to Dave handing over files voted at previous AGM dated 6May63
22 1964 4Jan64 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
4Jan64-26Nov65 Flt Lt (Retd) Pete F Hunwick Cranwell
6-letter from Robin Sandle to Dave Watt written note on letter handing over to Pete Hunwick 4Jan64 dated 6May63
? 1965 2Jan65 Dirty Dick's
26Nov65-12Nov68 Air Cdre (Retd) Pat King Cosford
7-Letter to RAF News dated 26Nov65
? 1966 1Jan66 Dirty Dick's
10th Anniversary ? 1967 7Jan67 Dirty Dick's
4Jan87-12nOV68 Wg Cdr (Retd) Barry B H Dale
8-Note on calling notice for 7Jan67 passing to Barry
? 1968 6Jan68 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
12Nov68-23Dec73 Wg Cdr (Retd) Dougie D M Barr Conningsby
9-Calling Notice for AGM 4Jan69 and letter from Dirty Dick's dated 12Nov68
? 1969 4Jan69 Dirty Dick's
? 1970 3Jan70 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1971 2Jan71 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1972 8Jan72 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1973 6Jan73 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
23Dec73-17Oct74 Gp Capt (Retd) Bob Holliday Wittering
10-Letter John Severne dated 23Dec73
11-Sykes letter saying still at Dirty Dick's 11Jul74
? 1974 5Jan74 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
17Oct74-Mid78 Flt Lt (Retd) Eric J K Pigdon Manby
Eric's memory of taking over from Bob Holliday
? 1975 4Jan75 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1976 3Jan76 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
20th Anniversary ? 1977 8Jan77 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1978 7Jan78 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
Mid78-1Jan85 Air Cdre (Retd) Pat King High Wycombe
Eric's memory of handing over to Pat King at High Wycombe.
? 1979 6Jan79 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1980 5Jan80 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1981 3Jan81 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
? 1982 2Jan82 Dirty Dick's Guess - no records
11 1983 8Jan83 Does not look like 3 Compasses in photos? - no records
? 1984 7Jan84 No records
Dougie Adamson's records ? 1985 5Jan85 Round Table, St Martin's Court, Nr Trafalgar Sq. no records
1Jan85-Mid87 Wg Cdr (Retd) Barry B H Dale Flt Safety, London
Pat's memory on taking up post as IFS when Barry was on the staff there.
? 1986 4Jan86 The Three Compasses
30th Anniversary 22 1987 10Jan87 The Three Compasses
Mid87- Now Sqn Ldr (Retd) Jeff T M Jeffrey Brampton
12-Letter handing over files from someone in Grimsby dated 9Dec88
25 1988 9Jan88 The Three Compasses
42 1989 14Jan89 The Three Compasses
38 1990 13Jan90 The Three Compasses
28 1991 12Jan91 The Three Compasses
39 1992 11Jan92 The Three Compasses
31 1993 9Jan93 The Three Compasses
29 1994 8Jan94 The Three Compasses
33 1995 14Jan95 The Three Compasses
22 1996 13Jan96 The Three Compasses
40th Anniversary 40+ 1997 11Jan97 The Three Compasses
30+ 1998 10Jan98 The Three Compasses
32 1999 9Jan99 The Three Compasses
30+ 2000 8Jan00 Clachan, Fleet Street
35 2001 13Jan01 Clachan, Fleet Street
40 2002 12Jan02 Clachan, Fleet Street
32 2003 29Mar03 Serjeants, Fleet Street
51 2004 20Mar04 Serjeants, Fleet Street
21Mar04 Web Site Launched 44 2005 19Mar05 Serjeants, Fleet Street
44 2006 8Apr06 Serjeants, Fleet Street
50th Anniversary 56 2007 31Mar07 The Horse, Lambeth
50th Ladies Guest Night 54 2007 3Nov07 RAF Club
34 2008 15Mar08 The Horse, Lambeth
44 2009 25Apr09 RAF Club
36 2010 17Apr10 RAF Club
24 2011 7May11 RAF Club
39 2012 17Mar12 RAF Club
32 2013 16Mar13 RAF Club
34 2014 15Mar14 RAF Club
27 2015 21Mar15 RAF Club
Joined by 124 Wing Gutersloah 31 2016 21May16 RAF Club
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