"Main Point"Current Newsletter of News, Views, Comments and Articles.
74th Entry Association 55th Anniversary
The weekend started with a 3 course Sunday lunch on the Severn Valley Railway travelling from Kidderminster Station. A two-hour stop at Bridgenorth allowed us to tour this attractive little town before returning to the hotel for a gathering in the bar for drinks and eats in the evening.
On Monday 28th April 2008 nine members of the association visited the new home of No. 1 School of Technical Training at RAF Cosford. We were met and escorted around the training facilities by Sdn Ldr Graham Lee and allowed to view the modern arrangements for technical training. Explanations of the new facilities and procedures were provided by the Engineering Officers and SNCO instructors.
We then moved on to have lunch in the RAF Museum cafeteria before a leisurely tour of the exhibits including the newly opened Cold War building. Meanwhile, the ladies had their own outing to the Black Country Museum that included an underground tour on a canal boat and much reminiscing about the times when we were all much younger.
On Monday evening we all met up again for dinner in the hotel and then viewed pictures of the two outings on the hotel's public PC. In order to leave our mark, the 74th Entry badge was left on the PC desktop background as a reminder of who we were.
Tony Merry very ably organised the whole event and has to be congratulated for his work to keep up the Spirit of the 74th.
Michael (Andy) Anderton 588577 u/t Arm. Fitt.
[Editor] Well done Andy for that report. Slim sent an email "Sorry you missed it. A bit disappointing with the turn out of our members".
Slim Remembers Derek.
Slim has send some info about Derek Einam as follows:
As regards Derek. Some details wrong in the NZ wheel.
He was in our entry which was 1953 to 1956.
He left early, I believe in 1955. He bought a Triumph T110 which came out in 1954; My dream bike!
He started my nickname as slim one,but shortened in time to slim.
He was the best in our entry and a great guy. Destined to be top of our entry if he had stayed.
He had his own religion as a bush baptist. This enabled him to miss church parades!
regards
Slim
[Ed: Thanks Slim. ]
Dave Humphrey's Autobiography .
Dave Humphrey 588708 Engines 74th Entry Halton Apprentice. Passed out 28 April 1956.
Posted to RAF Middleton St George. Worked in the Engine Bay. As Middleton was closing down in September 1956, I was posted to RAF Thorney Island on Varsity First Line Servicing. Passed car driving test in Chichester. The driving instructor used to come to the barrack block, take me for an hour's lesson, drop me back at the block all for 7s/6p old money (I passed the motorcycle test in Aylesbury in 1955).
Read more of the Dave Humphrey Story here.
Now it's your turn!
Your story must be told - so come on the 74th Entry.
Another Thankyou to Dave.
Dave Humphrey also sent a number of photographs and RAF documents to put on the Website. This I will do very shortly. Here is one photograph from 1953 of Room 1 Block 11 No.1 Wing showing Dave (on the left) and Derek Einam (sat writing at the table). Who else do we see? Is it you?
[Editor] Please send me any news items or stories that may be of interest to members of the 74th Entry Association or any other visitors to the 74th Entry Website.