WRAC Association North East Area

Chairman: Major (Retired) Dot Ryder

Secretary: Mrs Irene Maclean

York Branch

Chairman: Mrs Pam Nesbitt

Secretary: Mrs Feona Dixon

The members of York Branch send best wishes to you all.

Congratulations go to Joan and James Holden, Joyce and John Marriott and Pat and David Carpenter who have all celebrated Diamond Wedding anniversaries. Also Pam and Bob Nesbitt celebrated their Golden Wedding anniversary.

Further congratulations to Joan Holden who celebrated her 90th birthday in August and is still going strong. Joan was our Standard bearer for many years and only retired due to ill health. Pat Carpenter recently celebrated her 80th birthday. Pat was a member of the London Branch until her move to York and is now one of our active members.

Four of our members were entertained by the "Not Forgotten" Association to a boat trip on the River Ouse. We met up with the ladies from Leeds and once again were reunited with Rosie Thompson the Events Officer.

We are now looking forward to the North East Area Reunion this year being held in Hull and our visit to meet up with our Scarborough ladies. Unfortunately Connie Beat hasn't been at all well but hopefully she will be able to come.

We are already making plans to attend the Grand Reunion in March 2009. If it is anything like the last one it certainly will be a sell out.

At the Branch meeting in April the ladies brought photographs of themselves whilst serving. It is really good to look at and recognise these young good looking ATS/WRAC girls who have now grown into sophisticated young ladies. We have been out for lunch a couple of occasions arranged by none other than Col (Retd) Hazel Powell. As she is now an expert on this, we hope we can rely on her to arrange a few more.

Irene Quarrie has unfortunately been ill in hospital but hopefully is well on the way to recovery. Phyl Lindsell has once again been in hospital for a hip replacement and is now at home learning to walk again. I am now making a good recovery after breaking my pelvis. It's a long drawn out recovery plan as there is no cure – only pain killers. They did warn me that it would take 13/14 weeks and in all it was 20 weeks. I hope to throw my crutches away next week.

We are looking forward to our yearly attendance at the Open Day at Imphal Barracks in York on 12 July – the ATS Dinner Club at the Norbeck Castle Hotel in Blackpool on 22/25 September – and the Remembrance Service at Eden Camp, Malton, also in September.