Many thanks to those who kindly sent me ‘Birthday Greetings’ by Royal Mail, e-mail and Facebook. They are all much appreciated. However, do please drop the ‘Mr Raybould’ and ‘Sir’. It is just ‘John’. Sharon - Ref your ‘Happy Birthday Mr Raybould, sorry calling you John just seems wrong!’ No Sharon. Please follow my principle concerning a title. Years ago I had the honour of being invited to address the Late Col Dick Flower as Dick’, Col Paul Raywood as Paul, Lady Thorne as Anne and Lady Marilyn Evans-Lombe as Marilyn. Until they so invite me to be addressed by their 1st name, all others remain with their ascribed rank - less those with an equalivant rank, or lower. It was a sad morning. It wasn’t waking to find myself in bed with a 70 year old Grandmother, ie Janine! It was discovering, for the first time ever in my annual birthday test, that I could not zip up the shorts worn the day Elfrida was born in Ngora, Uganda in 1973. I said: ‘These shorts should go to a Charity Shop.’ Bless her, Janine, my wife of almost 48 years, responded: ‘No, keep them. With a bit of exercise they might fit next year!’ But I can still fit into my 1961 Solomon Islands shirt. Concerning clothing, a visiting East Anglia District Rotary Club President, known in his own Club as The Commissionaire, a chappie who had spent far too long jumping out of perfectly good aeroplanes while wearing a red beret, came to Watton, Norfolk, and chaired our meeting one hot evening. He was addressed by me, then Club Secretary and a lowly Major Disaster, so knowing my place, said: Colonel, may we have permission to remove our jackets? The pompous response was: Potatoes have jackets. Gentlemen have coats. No! That went down a bundle at Watton! The Royal Norfolk Show Dress Code for Vice Presidents and Members Enclosures, has: ‘Gentlemen are encouraged to wear smart trousers, jacket and collared shirt, either with tie or open-neck. Smart tailored shorts on hot days are acceptable. Smart denim jeans are acceptable, but without fades, stains, tears or frayed ends. No bare tops, vests, swimming trunks, beach wear, trainers, tracksuits or unduly scruffy attire please.’ Years ago, I tried going one better than our attached Aussie Lt Craig Tapper who tried it in sandals and corks (but it must be admitted that the late Colonel Alex Turnbull did not have to be circumvented). It was at the Royal Norfolk Show. I passed the portals of the Regimental tent dressed in open necked shirt, carrying a Respirator Case doubling up for the day as a lunch bag and getting as far as downing a free glass of wine offered by WO2 Pat Cole before being spotted by William Reeve, the Regimental Secretary, who was ‘properly’ dressed in Regimental Blazer and Royal Norfolk tie. His outburst was only moderated by the ladies present! That reminds me of my favourite line from a Lee Marvin film. In response to the question: Wheres the Headquarters? he said: Wherever Im standing. That’s enough of my ramblings.
Posted on: Fri, 08 Aug 2014 22:26:07 +0000