The QARANC Association Jurassic Coast Branch on a Day Out 2023

 

The Branch members had a great day out at the Sculpture By The Lakes in Dorset June 2023.   A well organised day (as always) arranged by our Chair, Marjorie Bandy and her committee.  It started with the usual gathering and chat before the most delicious lunch, using local produce.  

After our long leisurely lunch we realised we wouldn't get to see the Sculpture Park if we didn't stop talking!  A QA get together is always lively and our Branch is friendly and welcoming and perhaps why we are growing in numbers.  As regular, reserved and retired QA's we have a special connection.

The Sculpture Park is really the most amazing place to walk around on the flat, with sculptures everywhere amongst the grounds and lakes.  Very peaceful and tranquil.  Mindful of this Marjorie advised we all went round in small groups  so as not to disturb the other visitors and no doubt the wildlife!  With so much space it felt as though there were not many visitors there, it felt as though we had the grounds very much to ourselves. 

Jurassic Coast Branch Chair at an Indian Wedding by Marjorie Bandy

On New Year’s Eve 2022 I travelled to India to be a guest at a wedding. The sister of one of my friends Clinta was getting married. So why was I invited? A couple of year ago Clinta asked me if I could help her sister Catherine to improve her English as she wanted to move to Canada. With the help of WhatsApp and email we started on “lessons “ once a week, starting with just conversation and progressing to written work with me setting her homework. We started off with a simple thank you letter and over months progressed to her writing short stories. For anyone who knows me you won’t be surprised to read that I sent her work back complete with red ink corrections! It paid off and she passed the exams. She always promised that I would be invited to her wedding

In India unmarried women rarely ever venture out alone or with friends and so have little opportunity to meet members of the opposite sex. Arranged marriage is therefore the norm. At the end of November Catherine sent me a picture of her with a very handsome man with the announcement “ we are getting engaged.” The handsome young man is Akhil who lives on Canada but was home in Kerala specifically to get married. The regulations for taking a wife to Canada meant that the wedding was set for 2nd and 4th January. Initially it seemed that I would not be able to go as getting a visa for India for anyone from the UK is very difficult and usually takes months to arrange. Suddenly in mid-December the rules changed and I was able to apply of an e-visa. All I needed now was a plane ticket. The Jurassic Coast branch to the rescue as Pauline Stow’s son-in-law runs a personalised travel agency. Sorted.

Now for the packing. I had been warned that I would be wearing a Sari for the first ceremony but was specifically asked to look like an English guest complete with large hat for the second. My hand luggage contained little more than said hat.

I flew to Cochin in Kerala State which is predominately Christian and Romain Catholic. The family made me very welcome, and I stayed with a family member. I arrived Sunday and spent Monday getting the necessary jewellery for my sari experience and having the bouse made. The sari colour had already been chosen for me. Next day was the engagement ceremony which took place in the Parish church of the bride. For this the bride and her immediate family all wore the same colour, a rich burgundy. This service is the responsibility of the bride’s family and is followed by a meal and then all of the groom’s family come back to the bride’s house for tea and a piece of cake. This welcomes the joining of the two families. After that the groom and his family leave and we the bride’s side have a party. I asked why the engagement happens in church and Clinta explained that as all marriages are arranged the priest will ask both bride and groom whether they really want this marriage. Church is a safe environment should this be a forced marriage. 

Getting ready for this first event was an experience. A beautician arrived to get me ready, very professional makeup and then I was “dressed” in my sari. I certainly couldn’t have done it myself. Despite wearing the same as everyone else with my blonde hair I hardly blended in.

Wednesday was a rest day albeit I was taken on a sightseeing day.

Thursday was the actual wedding ceremony and unlike here, the Wedding Day is the responsibility of the groom’s family and takes place in their parish church. For this I was able to dress myself. The hat proved to cause a lot of excitement and I can honestly say I have never had my photograph taken so often and with people I didn’t know. 

The bride and groom walk into church together followed by both sets of immediate family, the groom’s mother carrying a basket of gifts, one of which is a sari, and the bride after the service, changes out of her white dress into this. 

After the 1 ½ hour Nuptial Mass [of which I understood not one word] we went to the groom’s family house. After prayers at the entrance and the handing over of the dowry we were all invited in to again have tea and cake. Catherine arriving on the back of Akhil’s motorbike sitting side saddle in white dress and veil and an escort of about 20 bikes of Akhil’s friends. After this we went on to the reception.

After the wedding I had a 3 day escorted trip around Kerala enjoying a peaceful day on a lake houseboat and then up to the hills around Munnar to see the tea plantations and ending in Cochin and the wonderful houses now hotels from the time that India was part of Empire before returning to the airport and a return to wet and windy Weymouth.

Lt Col (Rtd) Marjorie Bandy RRC

Corps Day Service 2022: My First QARANC Association Experience by Meg Lydford

 

On the 3rd April 2022 I attended a QARANC Association Church Service at this beautiful church, followed by lunch at a local pub in my home town of Weymouth. I felt honoured to take part in the first Jurassic Coast Branch Corps Day event for 3 years, due to the Covid pandemic restrictions.

The whole service was dedicated to the QARANC, with the vicar reading the QARANC collect prayer:

 

O God, who through the healing touch of thy dear Son didst recover the sick and relieve their pain, grant to us who serve beneath thy Cross in the Queen Alexandra's Royal Army Nursing Corps such love towards thee and devotion to our duty that the shadows may pass from those entrusted to our care, their darkness lighten into faith and hope, and thy love bring healing peace, for his sake who was content to suffer for all mankind, even Jesus Christ our Lord. Amen.

The organist played and we heartily sang the QARANC Corps Hymn, sung to the tune of The Churches  One Foundation.

 

O Father, by whose servants

Our Corps was built of old;
Whose hand hath crowned her children
With blessings manifold;
For thine unfailing mercies
Far shown along our way,
With all who passed before us
We praise Thy name today.

The changeful years unresting

Their silent course have sped,
New comrades ever bringing
In comrades' steps to tread;
The days of old have dowered us
With gifts beyond all praise;
Our father make us faithful,
To serving the coming days.

Before us and beside us,
Still holden in Thy hand,
A cloud unseen of witness,
Our older comrades stand;
One family unbroken
We join with one acclaim,
One heart, one voice uplifting
To glorify Thy name.

Meeting the retired and serving QAs and hearing their stories about their amazing careers was inspiring to me as a trainee QA. And the lunch was pretty good too! I will definitely be looking forward to their next event; wine tasting in September!

Joining the QAs has been fantastic so far, and I’ve met some friends for life. Birmingham has a tradition for military health care and we train alongside the NHS nurses, but as QAs we stand out from the rest which was reinforced to me after meeting the mainly retired QAs and hearing their stories. I think it is important as trainees to be a part of the Association as it motivates and inspires our future careers.


Pt Meg Lydford QARANC Student Nurse

60's Zoom Night - Jurassic Coast Branch

 

Well, February 2022 and we still have some COVID 19 restrictions in place. Although we could now all meet we have continued fortnightly branch Zoom meetings for catch ups and presentations. We missed organising a social event, so a 1960's dress up theme party was arranged.

 
Our Chair, Marjorie Bandy, organised a trivial pursuit style quiz based on 60's music, with our secretary Pat McKay, keeping score.

In between the quiz we ate and drank, more or less following the menu and drinks:

Pre-dinner drinks

Schooner of Sherry or Cinzano and Lemonade

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Prawn Cocktail or Grilled grapefruit topped with Maraschino Cherry

Cottage Pie with seasonal vegetables

Black forest Gateau or Sherry Trifle

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Coffee with after dinner mints and liqueurs

Wines

Mateus Rose or Liebfraumilch

 

It all became very exciting when we had to have a play off, with Judy Evans as the winner of a £25 gift voucher. Judy is obviously a quiz buff as she had previously won our Christmas quiz.

To finish the night off some dancing: the twist, swim, hand jive, locomotion and more. A few technical problems with the Youtube video loss of sound, but Wendy Jones stepped in with the music.

Another fun evening for the former and serving QA's and partners.

The Dynamic Dinosaurs 2021 AGM by Jan Westbury

The Dynamic Dinosaurs, as we call ourselves in the Jurassic Coast Branch of the QARANC Association, met for our annual AGM on Saturday 16th October 2021.

What a treat.  Not only because it was our first face to face AGM since 2019, due to the COVID 19 Pandemic and lockdown restrictions, but the committee had organised a great venue.

This is the view from the Haven Hotel, Poole, looking across to Studland and the Dorset hills in the background.

Coffee on arrival and time to chat and buy from our table sale to raise funds for the branch.  Over a £100 was raised by members who had donated a variety of gifts.  We were also able to distribute the Blog booklets that were printed to celebrate a year of weekly blogs.

What a happy group of branch members and their guests. We are so proud of our flag.

During the AGM, chaired by Marjorie Bandy, while the branch did the work our guests sat outside enjoying the autumn sunshine with a drink.

After the AGM time for a delicious lunch and more chatter.

A lovely way to spend a Saturday and meet up with friends.

COVID Secure Garden Party June 2021 - QARANC Association Jurassic Coast Branch

The Committee

Pat McKay (Secretary), Moira Dixson (Dep Chair), Marjorie Bandy (Chair), 
Dot Ritchie (Treasurer), Sue Shrimpton (Communications).

12th June 2021 and we are still in the midst of the COVID 19 pandemic, albeit with continuing relaxation of the restrictions as the UK population are increasingly vaccinated.  A gathering of a number of branch members with guests, was an historical event after being unable to meet as a branch for over  18 months. We had all experienced social isolation, with some members who lived alone further impacted.  Therefore, being able to meet so many people outside was really something to look forward to.

Not a branch to sit on our laurels, we planned a garden party at a member's home in the beautiful New Forest National Park, keeping in mind we had to follow COVID guidelines. So, lots of hand gelling and remaining outside of the home.

The gardens had been decorated with the Union Jack flag and bunting, together with our Corp Flag and more bunting and balloons in red and grey.

The day started watching on television the Trooping of the Colour at Windsor Castle, re-located from Horse Guards Parade due to the pandemic. The whole spectacle was magnificent, with the Queen in a stunning outfit. It wasn't long before others joined us and the pre- lunch drinks flowed.

Two of the helpers for the day, wearing specially designed QA aprons made by the Chair. 

Before lunch in the barn an official photograph was taken. Sadly not all our colleagues made the photograph due to traffic delays.  However, they timed it perfectly for the food!

A short speech after lunch by our Chair who made a presentation to the hosts, of a much sought after Florence Nightingale rose.

After lunch it was time for garden games, cake and ice-creams.  Although for some, just sitting in the shade chatting was more than enough on such a hot day.

The games finished with Sue Shrimpton being awarded the gold medal for being the best combined games champion.

"Beautiful day with lovely lunch, Pimm's, games, shade to chat in, catch ups, tea and cake. Could not have been better, and behind all of this are amazing people who ensured it happened, so I support all thanks to our hosts and helpers" Fiona Thompson

A Jurassic Coast Committee’s year in the life of Covid-19 - By Marjorie Bandy

What a year this has been and looking back, what a challenge for our association and this branch. Thinking back to the beginning of March 2020 neither I nor our committee could possibly have imagined how this year was going to pan out. Normally the branch follows a set format of events which allows us to get together [husbands included] three or four times a year. 

2020 was not normal. How were we going to keep our members in touch with one another and how might we need to support people as Covid-19 gradually took on an almost strangulation hold on the country. What came out of these questions was amazing and the committee and our members very much lived up to our “Dynamic Dinosaur” name. In the past we had obviously sent gifts to members who were in hospital or had a close family bereavement or indeed visited some of our older members. RHQ realised that more would be needed, and every branch was given a generous grant to use as thought appropriate. We decided on going down the route of looking at everyone individually and responding according to what we thought was needed rather than one size fits all. A number of our members sadly suffered from Covid infections and we were able to send gift boxes of goodies or flowers according to what we knew that that person might like. We did the same for those who were shielding or isolating, taking account of the fact that many of our members are married and sharing with husband might be appropriate. Gifts on their own didn’t seem enough and camaraderie was also needed; so the Saturday night Zoom drinks party was born. You have already heard about our zooming from Merrill and Kay. I hadn’t previously realised what an adventurous group the Jurassic Coast branch are as we have heard of feats of daring do as well as the challenges facing members who are still working.

Still more support has been needed and I was more than happy to visit QAs in hospital when it was allowed as well as like so many of our group spend time on the telephone with those who just needed a chat. Sadly, Pat McKay and I represented our Association at the funeral of one of our oldest members, but the appreciation shown by the family certainly made it worthwhile.

I am proud to say that the Covid restrictions have not stopped us fundraising for our branch with the sale of face masks for those not so handy with a needle and a virtual raffle with all of the prizes so kindly donated by branch members. You have all been so generous and we have raised £400+ for our funds.

The effort of living up to our motto “Friendship” has certainly paid off and we have been pleased to welcome new members during the year. As the vaccination programme gradually rolls out reaching ever younger age groups, we are gradually seeing a light at the end of what has been along dark tunnel. I am so proud of the members of the Jurassic Coast branch who have supported the committee throughout the year with help and innovation. I think that most of us agree that we know each other so much better now, so much so that everyone is comfortable to say if necessary, on Saturdays “I have had a bad week.” Surely this is what was intended when our association was set up in 1947.

One last thank you to the committee and those who have taken a lead in producing not only a weekly get-together but our branch Facebook page and a Blog. I hope that when this group don their QA apron to cook supper, they realise just how much I appreciate the support they have given to make my life so much easier during such a difficult year. Hopefully we are now looking forward to getting together in person, how wonderful will that be?

Lt Col [Retd] Marjorie Bandy RRC Branch Chairman 

Served 1975 – 2003

24 April 2021 - A Year in the History and Life of the QA Jurassic Coast Branch Zoom Meetings and Blogs - By Kay Foster and Merrill Bate

The Covid 19 Global Pandemic, with little warning, changed the face of the globe for a year and maybe well beyond, Millions of people died around the world and our way of life was turned upside down. This is a story of how one small group of QARANC Nurses pulled together to help each other through the impact of fear, loneliness (for some illness), and created resilience amongst ourselves.

30th March 7.30pm. I was having dinner when I felt an overwhelming fatigue. I left most of my food and went to bed and stayed there for ten days. I had caught Covid-19. Three-weeks earlier I had attended a weekend Transcendental Meditation course in Kent. There were over 50 people there from around the country, many from London. As I knew no one in Devon who had had Covid, I could only pinpoint it with some certainly to Kent. I was pretty ill with several quite severe side effects, but then there was not the knowledge around that there is today. Long Covid was not even known about by the scientists at that time.

I mention this because less than three weeks later on 25th April 2020, I hosted the first Jurassic Coast Drinks get together via Zoom. The QA Association had funded each QA branch to connect to its members. Marjorie Bandy, the Chair of the Jurassic Coast Branch, had put out an SOS for anyone with knowledge of using the Zoom Video Conferencing Software App. Now I can’t remember when I first used Zoom. I know it was with my golfing friends but was it before or after I had Covid? Whatever, I had some experience. That meeting started at 6.30pm and for future meetings we changed it to 6pm by popular request. We began with an informal chat.

Pat McKay, Branch Secretary, sent out newsletters to Branch members and invited them to the Zoom meetings, and before long, we had an average of 20 people attending every Saturday. We were a mixed bag from Serving and Retired, Regular and Reservist QAs, mostly Officers; the meetings were open to All Ranks and sometimes to family and friends of members. After the first couple of chat evenings, we decided to have members of the group give a presentation to add interest. On 6th June, Karen Melling was our first speaker and talked about her experience Sailing Inside the Northwest Passage. That was the first time I started “screen sharing' and had to rehearse, thank goodness for YouTube tutorials!

Merrill Bate who is a QA Association Trustee saw the benefits of this for communicating to our members. We joined forces and decided to share the responsibilities of running the Saturday evening “Zooms”. As I sit here writing this reflection with our year anniversary just one week away, we are proud to say that every Saturday since the 25th April 2020, we have sat with our computers hosting the Zoom meetings. Some presentations we recorded, as they were given by Serving Officers with what we thought were historical records for the Corps archives. These are now stored on The Cloud at RHQ QARANC. 

Over the year we have had a range of activities all designed to provide something that would distract people from the tedium of living life in the midst of a pandemic, to entertain, support and provide friendship. These activities have included talks, commemorations of VJ Day and Remembrance Day, quizzes, a Regimental Murder Mystery Guest Night and a Burns Supper when we joined up with the Scottish Branch. Talks given by Serving and Retired QAs have been entertaining and informative. A number of talks on the QARANC in the 21st Century have certainly proved that nothing ever stands still and that the Corps goes from strength to strength.

Merrill and I were passionate to try and engage with our group and beyond to get 'QA Corps History" documented. With the help of Wendy H Jones, a retired QA who now has a successful international career as an author, we started a blog to capture our history. Our aim is to capture and share the stories of the 3 R's (Regulars, Reservists and Retired) which we believe are important and contribute to the more recent history of our Corps. We currently have 33 blogs published and over 11,000 hits. Our blog can be found on https://qareminiscences.blogspot.com

There has been a sterling effort by Wendy and Jan Westbury to get the blogs proof-read and loaded onto Blogger by Saturday of each week; the blog team have been joined by Eileen Nolan to help with management of the blogs produced to date and encourage the wealth of fascinating historic stories still to be written.

We didn't stop there, as Sue Shrimpton set up our branch Facebook page, well and truly taking the branch into another forum for communication.

The 3rd Covid lockdown was lifted on the 12th April 2021 due to the stunning efforts made by the population from social distancing, wearing face masks and changes in social and personal hygiene practices. This was achieved by government planning, the changing of laws to insist when appropriate that we all must stay at home and work from home when possible. For quite long periods the only shops allowed to open where those for essential elements of daily living. This was complimented by the sterling efforts of our scientists to develop vaccines in the fastest time ever known and to date are hugely successful. As the QA Jurassic Coast Committee and Zoom team move into the spring-summer of 2021, we have decided to reduce the meeting to twice a month with the view of returning to weekly in the autumn/winter when maybe, just maybe, we might return to some form of restricted living as the Covid-19 virus continues to wreak its damage.

Below are a collection of comments that our group felt about how the Jurassic Coast Zoom meetings have helped them through the lockdown and for some, the severe isolation experienced during the 2020-2021 Covid pandemic.