Lynn Hatton, Cllr Susan Carey and Nigel Hatton
On Saturday 24 October I am with the Royal Naval Association for a dinner and dance in Folkestone to celebrate Trafalgar Day. Trafalgar Day is October 21st and marks the day on which the British Navy triumphed in the Battle of Trafalgar in 1805.
There are around 400 branches of the Royal Navy Association with over 28,000 members. Membership is open to all serving and ex-service members of the Naval Forces. The Royal Navy Association acts as a welfare organisation and to ‘perpetuate the memory of those members of our Naval Forces who have died in the service of their country’. And foremost among those in the Navy who have died in the service of their country is Horatio Nelson. Tonight’s dinner includes an address to ‘The Immortal Memory’ of Nelson.
The Rum barrel
Nelson was a remarkable man of great courage and patriotism. He died at Trafalgar but not before he learned that his fleet had been victorious and he had saved Britain from invasion. Tonight the tale of Nelson’s life is told by the Royal Naval Association president, Jeff Fowler. We then drink to ‘The Immortal Memory’ of Nelson with a tot of rum. I have been told to down it in one. The rum is much stronger than I expect and brings tears to my eyes.
One piece of royal, Royal Mail has managed to reach the Association despite the postal strike and is read to us all by Nigel Hatton. It is from Her Majesty the Queen who is patron of the Royal Navy Association and it is a warm letter of praise for their work. This work includes fundraising for charity and tonight a cheque is presented to the Kent Air Ambulance for £1,000.
Gerry Allen of the Royal Naval Association with David Fagg of the Air Ambulance Trust
Chatting to the other guests at the dinner one tells me about a mayor she knew in another part of the country who had a gold chain like the Shepway one. Every time the chain was worn a council employee would accompany the mayor home to take the chain away as she was not trusted with it. I join the laughter then add that I too have a council employee to take the chain back to a safe at the Civic Centre after events. As far as I know this is true for all of us who wear civic chains as they are too valuable to be left unsecured.
I find I have a link with one of the other guests as he served on HMS Ark Royal which is where my father served during his national service. I’m glad to have a personal link with the Royal Navy although I’m quickly at sea with the naval slang that the members of the Royal Navy Association use. They also have a tradition of sitting down for the loyal toast which dates from shipboard life when cabins were low and leaping to your feet for a toast would risk knocking yourself out.
One of Nelson’s famous signals to his fleet was ‘England expects that every man will do his duty’ and it seems to me that the Royal Navy Association continues this fine tradition of service.
