Fort William and Spean Bridge Services and Events November 2011

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 14/11/2011 18:43:28

What a lovely weekend it was, and with such fine weather. I have posted an album for this years events on this link. If you have any photos email them to me with details if known of those in them. I will post them in the gallery unless we already have similar ones of the same photo already .

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/events/spean-bridge-2007/2011/

I agree with Pete that it was indeed a wonderful weekend.
It was fantastic to meet up with my old friends again and meet new friends, Julie W, Lindsay Miller and his brothers and sister from Canada and Bobby & Kevin Bishop from Florida - to mention but a few.

During the service at Fort William, whilst a little kitten played around the feet of Veterans and families, I witnessed a spectacular 'fly past' as a Golden Eagle circled like a majestic Lancaster bomber in the clear blue sky. Around this magnificent bird of prey flew a group of Hooded Crows, tiny in comparison, diving at it like angry Messerschmitt fighters.

The service at The Commando Memorial at Spean Bridge was as poignant and as moving as ever but I'm afraid I had to leave immediately afterwards so missed the ceremony of the Dedication of the Garden of Remembrance.

Once again the weekend was over far too quickly and I found that there was far too little time to spend time with everyone that I wanted to.

Nick

Ria and I have just arrived home from a very special weekend in Fort William and Spean Bridge. When we arrived on Friday it didn't feel as if we and everbody else had been away for a year. The warm welcome by everyone made us feel as if we had been away for just a week! It was very good to meet good friends again. We have enjoyed every minute we spent with them and with you all. The Services in Fort William and Spean Bridge again made a huge impression on us. Especially the Service at the Commando Memorial should be held as it has always been held....

Thank you all for a weekend to remember!

I had a truly magical weekend and it was lovely to meet you all & put faces to names at last. I?d been a bit apprehensive about travelling to Fort William on my own but everyone was so warm & welcoming ? thank you all for helping to make my time there so special.

Julie

Julie,

Julie W wrote:I had a truly magical weekend and it was lovely to meet you all & put faces to names at last. I?d been a bit apprehensive about travelling to Fort William on my own but everyone was so warm & welcoming ? thank you all for helping to make my time there so special.

Julie

It was lovely to meet you, especially as you've been so helpful to me. Sorry I didn't see you up at the Memorial - I hope you enjoyed the Service. I did tell Andy Maines that you were looking out for him...

I hope your research goes well and look forward to reading the biography when it's finished. We'll see you again I hope?

Nick

This message was edited 1 time. Last update was at 16/11/2011 22:14:33

Thanks Nick , it was a pleasure meeting you , Pete, Geoff and Di Edwards ,Stephen and Hazel and several others as brief as it was. I hope to return again someday and be able to spend more time with you all.
Special thanks to John White for sharing his fathers memories with us particularly be to able to hold his fathers fighting knife was something I won't soon forget. Turns out both of our Dads knew Ziv who took a lot of the pictures that are posted in the gallery
Due to time constraints we left the memorial before the garden was formally opened but it is a beautiful and fitting tribute to all Commandos

Well done everyone thanks again.

I forgot to mention that, despite Jenny's threats of the Ladies Protection Group

Jennifer Barlow wrote:Nick and Steve

Shame on you. Be afraid, be very afraid. Your untimely threats to throw Mrs Bishop in the air and into the loch will be thwarted. Perhaps you haven't realised that Janet has her own private army and protection force: Di Edwards, Bev Lain, Vera Bartholomew, Jan White, Philippa Tudor, Bernie Mewett, Ria Bakker and me, to name but a few. We are not the wives and daughters of Commandos for nothing and any attempt on Janet's precious person will be met with silent and deadly retribution and withdrawal of bacon sandwich privileges.

Don't turn your backs. See you soon.

Love from Jennie

Stephen and I used our telekinetic powers and threw Janet into the air - without even being in her vicinity.
Had she taken my advice and opted for the Loch instead of the road, she would have had a far softer landing...

Hope you're not too bruised and battered Janet...
Take care!

Nick

Well, Nick, my protection group had abandoned me at the time. I am travelling home in technicolour.

It was great to see you regardless.

Love to all,

Janet

The photo album has now been updated with photos from Julie Warren, Nick and Jack Bakker

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/events/spean-bridge-2007/2011/

Hello All It was great to see everyone again, especially as I unfortunately had to miss the last 2 years!! Lovely weather, fabulous scenery, great company - couldn't ask for more. See you all next year

I was just checking in with Bobby. He so rightly said 'the best thing about the whole weekend was the people'.

We all know that too, don't we :)

- Janet

Album now updated with further photos from Stephen Donnison:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/events/spean-bridge-2007/2011/

What a wonderful weekend. Coming after Holland and great support from the Dutch people and Dutch Commando where the welcome was so warm. Flushing would not be as well attended if it were not for the Dutch Commando grateful thanks to them. No4 Army Commando cannot get over now. It was good to see some of the Dutch Commando who had been in Flushing over at FW and Spean Bridge. Thanks to all the serving Commandos Army and RM who turned up to support at FW and Spean Bridge. Thanks to all the Commando family new and old who always make the weekend. Till we meet again next year. Bill

Album now updated with further photos from Jennie Barlow:

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/events/spean-bridge-2007/2011/

and LCA Restoration Project album also updated

http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/events/events/LCA+project/

What an amazing collection of photos we have this year. Well done and thanks to everyone who has sent them in.

To my shame, I failed to identify the Veteran who laid the CVA Wreath at Fort William Remembrance Parade.
Please can anyone help me out?
http://www.commandoveterans.org/cdoGallery/v/events/spean-bridge-2007/2011/Remembrance+201126.JPG.html

many thanks,

nick