#voiceof1000men supporting The Wooden Spoon Rugby children’s charity.
Good afternoon,
We have released an unofficial Lions song & video. The first proper Lions song – not a stuffy anthem – a sing along rock n roll Rugby song.
The unofficial anthem for the 2013 British & Irish Lions in aid of The wooden Spoon children’s charity. The last time the Lions were down under their supporters out-numbered, out-sung and out-supported the locals. The Wallabies responded. The Voice of a Thousand Men is the Lions and the supporters secret weapon in 2013. A plea to the traveling supporters to carry with them the voices of the thousands supporting from home to help the boys to a famous series win.
We decided it was about time Rugby hit the charts, only 4 weeks ago and working day & night produced our Lions inspired version of the Swords of a Thousand Men originally by Tenpole Tudor back in the 80s and this time by our very own RUCK STARS.
Proceeds from sales of the track (on iTunes & Amazon from 69p!) go to The Wooden Spoon Rugby children’s charity.
My humble request is that you help us to spread the word.
- Watch and share the video on You Tube
- post the video on your Club Facebook page or website
- Retweet our tweets (for those familiar with Twitter!) and follow us @voiceof1000men
- play the track in your club ( I can supply point of sale / posters) DVDs / CDs for Lions events you are running
- Promote the Tee shirt we will be launching in a few days time again with proceeds to Wooden Spoon
Any questions or ideas do email or call me.
Thanks for your indulgence
Warm Regards
Neil
Lets Get Rugby to Number 1
Pinner RFC AGM Saturday 22nd June 1pm
Dear Member and supporter of Pinner Rugby Club,
This is the first calling of our annual AGM to be held at the Rugby Club on Saturday 22nd June at 1.00pm, please find the Agenda in full attached.
If anyone wishes to stand for a committee position please let me know prior to the AGM.
We aim to start the day off with a breakfast bap and beers watching the 1st Lions game which kicks off at 11.00am, so the doors will open at 10.15am, all welcome.
For those of you who are unaware we have a Rugby Force day the previous weekend on the 15th and 16th June, to clean and paint the club, again all welcome.
I hope to see you all at both weekends
PINNER & GRAMMARIANS R.F.C. Ltd
President: David Hiles Esq.
Affiliated to the R.F.U., M.C.R.F.U.
Hon.Secretary : Robin Greenwood, 4 South Drive, Ruislip, Middx HA4 8EX
Tel: 01895 677764 (h); 07803 143137 (m); E-mail robing@storageking.co.uk
ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Saturday 22nd June 1.00 pm
In accordance with Club Rules notice is hereby given that the forty fifth ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING will take place in Pinner and Grammarians Club house, Shaftesbury Playing-fields on Saturday 22nd June at 1.00 pm. Your prompt attendance is requested.
AGENDA
1. To receive apologies for absence.
2. To confirm agreement of the Minutes of the 2012 Annual General Meeting
3. To consider Matters arising therefrom.
4. To review the Report of the Hon. Secretary
5. To review the Report of the Club Captain
6. To review the interim Report of the Hon.Treasurer
7. To review the Youth and Mini reports
8. To accept the nomination of the outgoing Committee
for Club President.
9. To confirm the election of the Officers, Captains and members of the General Committee for year 2013 – 2014.
10. To vote that Pinner and Grammarians RFC Ltd does not undertake a full audit for the financial year ending April 13.
11. To accept the outgoing Committee’s revision of the list of Vice-Presidents
12. To confirm the decision on Annual Subscription.
13. To consider any other business accepted by the President.
We are going to watch the first lions test at 11.00am, and will be serving breakfast baps beforehand at 10.00am prior to the AGM.
Once again thanks to all those who contributed during the season both on and off the field.
Well done to Aaron on a difficult baptism, honestly it does get easier!
Next season the Club needs YOUR HELP, we need coaches, administrators and players for the senior side, if you are that person or know of anyone please let anyone on the committee know.
Please make every effort to attend the AGM so that we can continue to build on our success to date. If you are prepared to take on any role please contact me or any member of the committee.
Apologies for absence should be conveyed to the Hon. Secretary before the meeting. Minutes of the 2012 A.G.M. and the Reports of the Hon. Secretary and Club Captain together with a verbal statement of the current financial position will be available at the meeting. Anyone not attending and requiring copies should contact the Hon. Secretary.
Robin Greenwood, Hon. Secretary, 29th April 2013
ELECTION of OFFICERS, CAPTAINS and MEMBERS of the GENERAL COMMITTEE
In accordance with the Rules the outgoing General Committee nominates
David Hiles to be Club President for the Season 2013 – 2014
****************************************
The Meeting is required to elect members to the following positions:
CHAIRMAN CLUB CAPTAIN
HON.SECRETARY VICE CAPTAIN
HON.TREASURER ‘A’ XV CAPTAIN (Pelicans)
ASSISTANT SECRETARY VETS’ XV CAPTAIN
HON. BAR SECRETARY HON. TEAM SECRETARY
HON. PRESS SECRETARY HON.’100 CLUB’ SECRETARY
MINI/YOUTH SECTION FOR SENIOR COMMITTEE
HON MERCHANDISE SEC
MINI CHAIRMAN
HON. MEMBERSHIP SECRETARY
MINI/YOUTH REPRESENTATIVE
HON. SOCIAL SECRETARY
HON. CLUBHOUSE SECRETARY
HON. FIXTURE SECRETARY
NORTH WEST MIDDLESEX GROUP REPRESENTATIVES (x2)
FOUR ADDITIONAL COMMITTEE MEMBERS two at least who shall be playing members.
Vice-Presidents
Your Committee will propose amendments to the list of Vice-Presidents.
Candidates for the above positions will require be proposing and seconding at the meeting.
Should you feel able to offer your services to the Club by taking on any of the above positions or help with the rebuilding projects please contact the Hon. Secretary or Chairman.
We also need COACHES and ADMINISTRATORS for the mini and Junior sections (NO EXPERIENCE NECESSARY) along with SENIOR PLAYERS for the first and second teams.
Music and curry night- Saturday 26th January
January 21, 2013 by paul
Filed under Notices, miscellaneous
Following the afternoons impending Pelicans victory and to get rid of those January Blues we are holding a Music and Curry night at the club, terrific duo ‘Mouth on a Stick’ will sing songs from 60′’s through to the 90′’s acoustically, while you can eat, drink and be merry. Ticket cost will be only £15 per person, for the curry and the music. Please let Sir Les Chaffe if you are coming along: leschaffe@yahoo.com or book in via facebook. It was a brilliant night last time, therefore do not miss out this time
Singer/bassist (Howard) and guitarist (Keith) – both formerly of 80s rock band ‘Liaison’ – renew their musical relationship in this energetic and fun acoustic duo. Performing a variety of hits and album tracks from the last 4 decades, the pair mix dual vocals with acoustic and bass guitar. Both talented singers, they share the lead and backing vocal duties during their diverse set of rock and pop covers.
Mouth On A Stick specialise in the eclectic. They are not your average duo – nor do they wish to be. Their set consists of a carefully chosen mix of songs from the 1950s through to the present day.
We think you will be pleasantly surprised by the song choice – from award winning pop singles like Elbow’s ‘One Day Like This’ and ‘The Fear’ by Lily Allen to pop/rock anthems such as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ by The Who.
There are also some obscure gems that you will undoubtedly remember but rarely hear these days. Brian Protheroe’s ‘Pinball’ and ‘Dance With Me’ by Orleans being two such examples.
And just to keep you on your toes, there are a few classic album tracks like Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’, from their million-selling ‘Rumours’ album, or Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ from the album of the same name.
So please don’t be upset if you don’t hear ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ or ‘Mustang Sally’ – we like to leave that to the others.
Saracens Tickets – An easier way to order tickets!
October 26, 2012 by paul
Filed under Notices, Saracens RFC Club Partners
Saracens have introduced a new and easier way for you to order tickets but still benefiting Pinner Rugby Club via the Cashback scheme!
A number of people have asked over the last couple of weeks if we are still selling Saracens Tickets this season. The answer is YES, however Saracens have changed their administration system which does make my life easier. For all games at Vicarage Road and the new stadium at Allianz Park Saracens are offering Pinner Rugby Club “Cashback “ £5 for every Adult and £2 for every Under 16’s Ticket purchased.
Please note the cash back offer is not available for the Saracens v Northampton Saints fixture at Stadium MK on 30th December 2012.
To purchase tickets you must enter the Saracens website using the designated link:
www.saracens.com/pinnerandgrammariansrfc
Users will need to register /create an account if you have not purchased from Saracens before., for each subsequent purchases you will simply follow the clubs URL and login again. Users must then follow on screen instructions and to book their tickets. Please note that your Tickets will be sent via post to you direct.
If you want to sit in the same area as your friends be sure to specify the stand and block you are looking to go for as this process will let the individual choose any seat(s) within the stadium.
I would encourage everyone to use the link every time you purchase a ticket to benefit from the club CashBack scheme. Cashback is a great way for Pinner Rugby Club to make money towards purchasing new equipment and other projects to benefit our children
Deryck Westwood Day Saturday 13th October
In his will Dereyck left a bequest for the Club to purchase a barrel of beer so that all who knew him or who have ever been involved with Pinner could mark his birthday with a pint. – All are welcome 1.00 pm till late.
Pinner RFC Hosting Saracens RFC Summer Rugby Camps
Saracens Rugby Camp – Pinner RFC Thursday 9th August & Friday 10th August
Pinner RFC are teaming up again with Saracens this Summer to give you an opportunity to train with the 2010-2011 Aviva Premiership Champions.
Saracens will be holding a Two Day Skills Clinic at Pinner RFC and we encourage all Mini and Junior players to develop their rugby by attending this course. The camp, designed in consultation with the Saracens academy, is for young aspiring rugby players and will provide the perfect balance of fun, intensity, excitement and education, using modern training techniques, player focused sessions and development through game play.
A very competitive pricing structure is in place this season with a 10% online discount also available. It is recommended you book early to avoid disappointed.
To book your place or for further information, including course content and structure for and of the above courses please visit www.rugbycamps.com/saracens or call the Saracens community team on 01707 285 026.
Pinner Olympics – Club Open Day Saturday 18th August 2012
Saturday 18th August
Pinner Rugby Open Day
Hello to all members old and new of Pinner Rugby Club!
The 1st social event of the new season is upon us and I want to make it a whole club affair. By getting everyone together I hope to get us all excited for the season ahead and for us all to start becoming closer rather than a seniors section and minis section etc etc….. Absolutely anyone is welcome; grab all your mates family friends and anyone who might want to join a new club or even want to start playing rugby whether they are 5 or 55! lets get the beers flowing and the laughs rolling as we will have:
1) Pinner Olympics – £10 entry Per person this gets you a free beer and the trophy if you win! Grab your best/worst fancy dress outfit and come and compete in the annual games which include dizzee rascal (everyone’s fave) to the ultimate dance off!
2) Middlesex rugby bus - http://www.middlesexrugby.com/Community/MiddlesexBus/
3) karaoke- good singers bad singers and drunk singers all welcome!
4) The usual BBQ bouncy castle and fun and games for the youngsters.
5) Cross-bar challenge
Lets all do our best to get everyone down and get the season off to a good start.
Pinner end season in fine style
For the final league match of the season P&G’s played host to third place Uxbridge and put on one of their best performances to win 32 – 17. Pinner gave early notice of their intention to avenge the early season defeat by the visitors with an opportunist try by prop Aaron Nicholas. The conversion failed but the five points were a confidence booster. The Pinner pack took the game to the much heavier Uxbridge forwards showing fire in the loose and good technique in the tight. With the referee being very strict at the break-downs several penalties were conceded but Uxbridge failed to take advantage. P&G’s were now guilty of over confidence and miss-handling allowed Uxbridge to scoop up the ball to run in a try, which was converted. The visitors now led 7 -5 but Pinner were not to be denied. On the half hour a clever chip over the defence by scrum-half Craig Lane allowed flying winger Chris Jepson to out-pace the cover to score close in. Mark Razzell added the two points to give the home team a half-time lead of 12 – 5.
The second half started with Uxbridge again not being able to capitalise on kickable penalties but with only five minutes gone Pinner got another penalty on the Uxbridge 22. Rather than take the easy kick scrum-half Lane darted through the flat-footed defence to scored under the posts and with Razzell adding the extra two points P&G’s now had a comfortable 19 – 7 lead. Uxbridge were not yet finished, breaking for the back of a ruck in the Pinner half they got the ball wide to score in the right corner. With only ten minutes remaining both sides were engaged in attacking rugby and zealous commitment to rucks and mauls led to several more penalties. Razzell now had his kicking-boots on and was able to stretch the P&G lead to 22 – 12. However Uxbridge stirred themselves for a final onslaught. Their backs were at last moving with more precision and a well executed try was their reward. Now, with only one score between the teams, Uxbridge seemed to have the momentum. Their backs began a promising move into the home sides territory but the ever alter Chris Jepson intercepted their final pass top sprint 60 m to score his second try under the posts. Razzell added the points and a couple of minutes later he brought his personal tally to 12 with a final penalty. Uxbridge now seems reconciled to defeat and Pinner had a last minute chance to add to their score but the final pass went astray. P&G’s ended the season on a high note for Reza Sibilants last game as Captain with a bonus point win by 32 – 17.
Pelicans also in action.
Pinner Pelicans, a mixture of 2nd XV and Veterans took on Fullerians from Watford. The visitors had won their Vets League and with their 2nd XV not having a match they brought a very large squad. Such is the nature of this class of rugby that the visitors were able to substitute players at will and bring on a totally new front row at half time. Pelican replacements were a few mature gentlemen putting in brief cameo performances. However everyone enjoyed the day.
The Club will be defending the Middx CRFU 7 a-side Vase, which they won last season at the MCRFU Club 7’s at Richmond on Sunday 6th May.
A Picture of You!
It’s that time again – time for a kind of competition.
This year there is going to be a Grand Prize Raffle Draw.
First Prize will be a painted portrait of you either in action whilst playing rugby or a selected image of your choice.
This is a one off opportunity to own an original painting – acrylic on canvas.
Previous winners of a painting have been ‘Bullet’ who requested a little more than what was originally on offer! See example below.
A fantastic new painting will be added shortly
How do you enter?
Simple, purchase a Prize Draw Ticket
What is the cost?
£7 per ticket or £10 for two now that’s not a bad return for a painting that would cost up to £750!
When will the draw take place?
Pinner Rugby Club AGM Friday 15th June (England v Sweden European Qualifier)
All profit will go to Pinner Rugby Club.
Pinner RFC to host the Aviva Premiership Champions Summer Camps
Summer 2012
Saracens Rugby Camp – Pinner RFC
Pinner RFC are teaming up with Saracens this Summer to give you an opportunity to train with the 2010-2011 Aviva Premiership Champions.
Saracens will be holding a Two Day Skills Clinic at Pinner RFC and we encourage all Mini and Junior players to develop their rugby by attending this course. The camp, designed in consultation with the Saracens academy, is for young aspiring rugby players and will provide the perfect balance of fun, intensity, excitement and education, using modern training techniques, player focused sessions and development through game play.
A very competitive pricing structure is in place this season with a 10% online discount also available. It is recommended you book early to avoid disappointed.
Description: Two Day Skills Clinic
Venue: Pinner RFC
Age: 6-16 years as at 09/08/2012
Date: 09/08/2012 – 10/08/12
Price: Online £50.00
Hot Lunch: Yes
To book your place or for further information, including course content and structure for and of the above courses please visit www.rugbycamps.com/saracens or call the Saracens community team on 01707 285 026.
Below are some of the action shots taken during the previous Saracens Rugby Camp
England V Ireland Legends Match
England v Ireland Legends
Friday, 16th March, at the Twickenham Stoop (KO 7.45pm)
On the evening of Friday 16th March the England v Ireland Legends Charity Match is being held at The Twickenham Stoop (www.englandirelandlegends.co.uk). It is the eve of the Six Nations clash and with the teams playing for the Stuart Mangan Memorial Cup it should provide the perfect opener to the final weekend of the championship. We had 11,000 there in 2010 and we’re hoping to fill the stadium this time around.
The game will see some of the big names of English and Irish rugby go head-to-head one more time with those involved including Martin Corry, Shane Byrne, Jason Robinson, Rob Henderson, Austin Healey, Richard Wallace, Jason Leonard and Mick Galway to name but a few. See the flyer below for the full team squads.
The game is being played again to raise funds for those seriously injured playing the game we all enjoy so much. The charities benefiting include the RFU Injured Players Foundation, the RPA Benevolent Fund and the IRFU Charitable Trust. There are a number of great sponsors on board to cover the running costs so all funds raised go directly to the charities.
After the game there will be bands playing in the main bar and plenty of food and drinks to be had so come and make a night of it. Corporate hospitality is also available – drop me a line if you would like details.
Let me explain the background: The game was conceived to raise money for Stuart Mangan, who was paralysed from the high neck following a rugby accident whilst playing for Hammersmith & Fulham RFC in April 2008. Stuart required 24-hour medical care for his every basic need and The Stuart Mangan Appeal was launched to fundraise, with patrons including Keith Wood, Ronan O’Gara and Jason Leonard. Stuart sadly passed away in August 2009 having contracted pneumonia, but his family have chosen for the Legends game to raise necessary funds to support other injured players.
We are aiming to sell all 12,000 seats at the game so we need to maximise awareness of the event. We would very much appreciate it if you would forward this email to all of your individual club members and supporters and to anyone who you think would be interested in attending the game. Also, if you could include this information on your Rugby Club website and/or in your club’s newsletters, on notice boards and on your Twitter, Facebook and other social network accounts, it would be most appreciated.
Adult tickets £10, Concessions £5.
Click on the link below to purchase your tickets now and also please pass this on to any of your contacts who you think would be interested. With the names involved it promises to be a cracker!
Details are also available at www.englandirelandlegends.co.uk, on Facebook http://www.facebook.com/events/253120864764718/ and Twitter https://twitter.com/ENGvIRELegends.
If you are unable to make it to the game you can make a donation to our three charities on our VirginGiving page at the following link:
http://uk.virginmoneygiving.com/englandirelandlegends
If you would like any further information, please don’t hesitate to contact me by email or on the numbers below.
We look forward to seeing you at the England Legends v Ireland Legends match and would very much appreciate your support for these very worthy rugby charities and for Stuart Mangan Memorial Cup.
Warm best wishes
Ann Higginson
Six Nations competition
Welcome to this year’s 6 Nations tipping competition.
Its easy and its fun and takes less that 5 mins to register ….just take a look
The 6 Nations is almost upon us, the best International Competition in World Rugby and probably the most open its been for years.
The competition is being run through sportguru.co.uk, the same site we used for the Rugby World Cup tipping competition. So if you participated in that you should already have login details – if not see below.
COMPETITION: RBS Six Nations (2012)
START DATE: Sat 4th February 2012
COST: £10
PRIZE MONEY:
1st Prize = 50% of pool
2nd Prize = 20% of pool
3rd Prize = 5% of pool and 25% of pool goes to the club.
HOW TO ENTER: Log onto http://www.sportguru.co.uk/ click on the “Register Now” button, then select the “Six Nations” from the drop down bar, then fill in your details (they don’t ask for many). Once you have done this, search for the pool called “Pinner Rugby Club” and apply to join pool. Once I have accepted you into the pool you will be free to enter your tips by following the instructions. Payment of the entry fee will need to be made by 10/02/2012 ( 2nd weekend), or you wont be able to win a prize.
I will send the relevant Bank details once all participants have registered.
RULES: Each entrant must submit their picks and margin before the deadline stipulated on the Sportsguru website. You can only enter your tips once so make sure you are certain of your tips before entering them as you cannot amend them afterwards! There are 5 rounds contain 3 matches each. You will receive points for correctly tipping the result of the game and also bonus points if you are within 5 points on your margin. There will also be bonus points and grand slam points awarded, check out the “Scoring System” tab for more information on how the comp will be scored. If you forget to put your tips in for a game you will be given the default tip by sports guru, check out the “Defaults” tab for more info on this. The person with the highest number of points at the end of the comp takes the top prize, the two closest runner ups will also receive some prize money and the club will earn a share. Actual prize money breakdown will be sent once we know how many people are playing.
If you think anyone else would be interested feel free to forward this on.
Round 1
Saturday, 4 February 2012
France v Italy, 14:30
Scotland v England, 17:00
Sunday, 5 February 2012
Ireland v Wales, 15:00
Round 2
Saturday, 11 February 2012
France v Ireland, 20:00
Italy v England, 16:00
Sunday, 12 February 2012
Wales v Scotland, 15:00
Round 3
Saturday, 25 February 2012
England v Wales, 16:00
Ireland v Italy, 13:30
Sunday, 26 February 2012
Scotland v France, 15:00
Round 4
Saturday, 10 March 2012
Ireland v Scotland, 17:00
Wales v Italy, 14:30
Sunday, 11 March 2012
France v England, 15:00
Round 5
Saturday, 17 March 2012
England v Ireland, 17:00
Italy v Scotland, 12:30
Wales v France, 14:45
Good luck!!
Music & Curry Night: Saturday 21st January, all welcome
To get rid of those January Blues we are holding a Music and Curry night at the club, terrific duo ‘Mouth on a Stick’ will sing songs from 60′’s through to the 90′’s acoustically, while you can eat, drink and be merry. Ticket cost will be only £10 per person, for the curry and the music. Please let Sir Les Chaffe no if you are coming along: leschaffe@yahoo.com or book in via facebook
Mouth on a Stick
Singer/bassist (Howard) and guitarist (Keith) – both formerly of 80s rock band ‘Liaison’ – renew their musical relationship in this energetic and fun acoustic duo. Performing a variety of hits and album tracks from the last 4 decades, the pair mix dual vocals with acoustic and bass guitar. Both talented singers, they share the lead and backing vocal duties during their diverse set of rock and pop covers.
Mouth On A Stick specialise in the eclectic. They are not your average duo – nor do they wish to be. Their set consists of a carefully chosen mix of songs from the 1950s through to the present day.
We think you will be pleasantly surprised by the song choice – from award winning pop singles like Elbow’s ‘One Day Like This’ and ‘The Fear’ by Lily Allen to pop/rock anthems such as Bruce Springsteen’s ‘Born To Run’ and ‘Won’t Get Fooled Again’ by The Who.
There are also some obscure gems that you will undoubtedly remember but rarely hear these days. Brian Protheroe’s ‘Pinball’ and ‘Dance With Me’ by Orleans being two such examples.
And just to keep you on your toes, there are a few classic album tracks like Fleetwood Mac’s ‘The Chain’, from their million-selling ‘Rumours’ album, or Pink Floyd’s ‘Wish You Were Here’ from the album of the same name.
So please don’t be upset if you don’t hear ‘Brown Eyed Girl’ or ‘Mustang Sally’ – we like to leave that to the others.
Presidents Lunch: Saturday 29th January
This Saturday saw many past members attend the annual Presidents Lunch hosted by current President David Hiles. Many of the past past players brought an assortment of memorabilia including a dish/bowl with a cartoon character painted on (see photographs). Two fresh barrels of London Pride were made available for our retired players; but judging by the consumption levels they have not retired from consuming alcohol!
David Hiles made his usual great speech and mentioned the sad loss of Bill North, the current performances of the 1st XV and the continuing development of both the Youth and Mini Sections.
After an excellent meal an auction was set in place by Pinner RFC Chairman Andy Wright for 10 tickets for the Saracens v Harlequins match at Wembley. After a slow start a bidding war developed and unlike usual auction bids did not go up at a steady pace; one wasn’t sure but a bid of £100 was keenly added to by an amount of £130 some jump! The final winning bid was for £185 the winner will remain nameless at this point just in case members of the family were looking forward to a nice weekend away with the bid money!
Following the meal, past members ventured out on to the bitterly cold fields of Shaftesbury playing fields to watch the 1st XV home League fixture against Old Grammarians – see match report on website
Please find below a number of photographs from the lunch (taken by under 12’s hooker Jacob Talbot; current 1st XV match photographer)
Also a little treat: ‘Lion Hunt’ those who know, know!
Bill North passes away
It is with great sadness that I have to let all of P&G RFC know that our revered Past and Life President Bill North passed away during the night. (D. Hiles)
Bill North: 30th May 1922 – 14th December 2011
Pinner & Grammarians President 1977-2002
President Lunch link
Hero bomber pilot’s amazing untold story
Bill North and his crew with a Stirling Bomber (Pic: Phil Harris)
Left to right, P/O Bill North (Pilot), F/Sgt Norman Jarvis (Bomb Aimer), F/Sgt Dave Crowley (Navigator), Sgt Monty Monteith (Wireless Operator), Jock Pork (although present is not a crew member), Sgt Les Morton (Flight Engineer), Sgt Eddy O’Shea (Rear Gunner), Sgt Dennis Bartlett (Mid-Upper Gunner). Standing next to a Short Stirling Bomber, Bill and the crew had two nearly fatal crash landings in Stirlings during RAF training.
EVERY day for nearly 70 years, Dennis Bartlett silently thanked bomber pilot Bill North for saving his life.
The last time he’d seen his Second World War comrade was in July 1944 on a pitch-black hillside in France where Bill crash landed their bullet-ridden Lancaster after a Luftwaffe attack.
Wounded Bill, then 22, bravely decided to down the plane rather than bail out when he learned another crewman’s parachute strap was damaged and he couldn’t jump.
Bill North and his crashed Lancaster Bomber (Pic: Phil Harris)
The pilot thought Dennis had parachuted out but when the bomber hit the ground, his friend was still on board.
The men were captured by the Nazis that night and when they were taken to separate prisoner-of-war camps, Dennis feared he would never see his pal again.
But last week they were reunited at the retirement home where the former RAF pilot now lives, and relived the incredible, untold story of their great escape.
As emotion welled inside him, Dennis, 87, said: “The memories of that night in France have been with me for 67 years.
“We all owed our lives to Bill. Without a thought for himself and while terribly injured he stayed on board our doomed bomber in order to save us. That still moves me to this day.”
Bill is now 89 but he remembers what happened so vividly it could have been last week. He said: “I was never scared of flying. My fear was of letting my crew down.
“We had become the firmest of friends as well as comrades and had complete confidence in each other’s abilities. It would have been a bitter blow if any one of my crew had been killed.”
Bill and Sergeant Dennis, of Camberley, Surrey, were part of Bomber Command’s 61 Squadron based in Skellingthorpe, Lincs.
Their mission was to attack the German base in St Leu d’Esserent, France, as part of an Allied force of 231 Lancasters and 15 Pathfinders.
They dropped 1,000lb bombs to cut communication to the base but 12 Lancasters and 83 lives were lost. Bill recalled: “We dropped our bomb load and suddenly we were being attacked. Bullets were ripping into my Lancaster.
“We lost our port inner engine, flaps and one of our petrol tanks. I was shot in the left elbow and thigh, my left arm just dropped down useless because the nerve had been severed. The aircraft was not responding to the controls so I gave the order ‘abandon aircraft’.
“But then one of our men said his parachute harness had been shot off and he couldn’t jump. I decided the only option was to crash land the aircraft. I was not going to leave him behind.”
Bill, of Basingstoke, Hants, brought down the aircraft over tree tops and landed tail down to prevent the wings from combusting.
To his surprise, Dennis appeared from the wreckage and helped get him out. But they were captured by the Nazis and Bill spent the rest of the war in Stalag Luft 1.
“Fortunately the crash landing was successful,” he said. “My overriding feeling was one of immense relief and satisfaction my crew survived.
“I wasn’t decorated but then no-one in authority knew of our crash landing.
“For my part, I was only too pleased we survived the war. Every night we flew in the shadow of death. I think about it every day.”
The touching reunion was down to Chris Keltie, a former neighbour of Bill’s who was fascinated by an old photograph of the crew. Three years ago, he decided to track down Dennis and write a book on the hero pilot’s life.
Chris said: “I think Bill should have been awarded a VC. His story needs to be told.”
Chris’ book Riding In The Shadow Of Death will be published soon.
RAF Lancaster pilot
F/Lt Bill North
61 Squadron.
THE FOLLOWING EXTRACT IS IN BILL’S OWN WORDS AND IS HIS ACCOUNT OF WHAT HAPPENED THAT NIGHT
F/Lt Bill North
“On the night of the 4/5th July 1944,I was the Pilot of Lancaster EE 186, QR—D for Dog 61 Squadron, Skellingthorpe, Lincolnshire. Earlier in the day my crew had taken the same aircraft on a 35 minute NFT—Night Flying Test—flight, and found it to be satisfactory in all respects.
Prior to take-off my Crew and the other involved 61 Squadron Crews would have attended a “briefing”. This briefing would have included target details (the V-1 site at St. Leu), weather forecast during the flight, visibility, particularly in the vicinity of the target, our bomb load and bombing height. When we took-off to set course for the target the weather as I recall it posed no problems. The time for takeoff was 22.30 hours. As the mission was during the night the entire flight would have been planned to take place in the dark.
Our flight to the target area was uneventful. On reaching the target area I was able to see that our target had been suitably “marked” by our Pathfinder Force and therefore set the pre-determined course and height for our bombing run. It was at this stage that as was usual on our operational trips, my Bomb Aimer, Sgt Norman Jarvis took control. I maintained the bombing course and height, ensuring that the Lancaster was kept “straight and level”. From time to time during the bombing run I altered course as necessary in line with Sgt Jarvis’ instructions. We completed our bombing run, dropped our bomb load and as soon as my Bomb Aimer said “Bombs away, Skipper”, I turned very steeply away from the target area which of course was also the danger area and set course for home.
So far so good, the mission was proceeding according to plan. Then suddenly my Gunners Sgt Dennis Bartlett and Sgt Eddy O’Shea called out the dreaded warning “Corksrcew Port, Go!”. This was an evasive manoeuvre that was taught to Bomber Pilots to escape from an attack by a Night Fighter, we had practised this many times during training. It was a violent dive to Port that put incredible stresses on the airframe and it wasn’t for the faint hearted. We were being attacked by a German Night Fighter and machine gun bullets were ripping into my Lancaster. We lost our Port Inner Engine and flaps and one of our petrol tanks. I was immediately wounded in the left elbow and thigh, my left arm just dropped down useless because the nerve had been severed. In addition the aircraft was not responding to the controls. In these circumstances I gave the order to “Abandon Aircraft”- it being my intention to attempt to bail out when the crew had left the aircraft. However at this stage Sgt Hackett (the replacement Flight Engineer for Sgt Les Morton who was off sick) said his parachute harness had been shot off and he couldn’t jump. I therefore immediately decided the only option was to crash land the aircraft, not something I wanted to do at night over unfamiliar terrain; I was not going to leave him behind. When I took this decision I was not aware that two other crew members were still on board the Lancaster. In retrospect having this information would merely have confirmed my course of action.
I did what I thought was best. Initially I judged my height by my altimeter and visually as we neared ground level. I managed to regain some control over the aircraft as we came across the tree tops. I straightened up and I saw a gap in-between the trees on a hillside, this was our one and only chance to make it. I decided our best chance of survival was to land the aircraft tail first from a height somewhat higher than that adopted during a normal landing. I was of course anxious to avoid creating too much friction on hitting the ground and thus creating a situation where the petrol in the wings could ignite with disastrous results. Fortunately the crash landing was successful in that all three members of the crew on board plus me survived the impact.
What is my overriding feeling about what happened to my crew and to me on the 4/5th July 1944? Firstly, one of immense relief and satisfaction that my entire crew survived. We had become the firmest of friends as well as comrades and had complete confidence in each other’s abilities. It would have been a bitter blow if any one of my crew had failed to survive. In the event two evaded capture (Navigator F/Sgt Dave Crowley and Flight Engineer Sgt Hatchett, with me for the first time in place of my regular Engineer, Les Morton) and five became POWs. Secondly, it is a source of amazement that I managed to crash my Lancaster at night without serious injury to anyone on board. I was never scared of dying, the only fear I ever had was of letting my crew down. Whilst I hesitate to suggest we were unique—I have yet to meet any Lancaster Pilot who has had a similar experience. Which leads me to ask “Was there a Guardian Angel looking after us?”
Bill had been shot twice through his left arm, the nerve had been severed and it was useless. He had two bullet wounds to his left thigh and was bleeding profusely, wind was rushing through the shattered Cockpit and down the fuselage and the altimeter was spinning out of control as they plunged towards the ground. The night fighter had also come in for a second time giving them another fatal round of cannon shells and bullets. Bill and the Flight engineer were fighting with the controls which were barley responding; they were approaching the ground fast when Bill suddenly regained some control over the Lancaster. Baring in mind it was nightime, Bill had used the altimeter to judge their height off the ground, but said he couldn’t rely totally on this; so when tree tops suddenly came into view he now had seconds to adjust the aircrafts position. The underside of the Lancaster was brushing the tree tops when Bill suddenly spotted a gap between the trees, “This is it we are going down now,” said Bill. They came down onto a French hillside with the nose up and tail down to try and avoid creating friction that might ignite the fuel in the petrol tanks. The Lancaster came down with a hell of a bump throwing the flight engineer into what was left of the cockpit and breaking his arm. They all sat there in a stunned silent daze, the plane hadn’t exploded on impact which they so often did. All of a sudden Dennis and Monty appeared from the fuselage behind Bill “Come on let’s get the hell out of here” shouted Dennis. They all helped their respected Captain out of the wrecked plane, and were all extremely concerned for him because of his serious injuries. Bill doesn’t know to this day how he managed to save the crew and the plane that night, but does put the sequence of events down to his RAF training and his Guardian Angel. I do agree with Bill, but it must be noted that Bill’s outstanding skill as a Bomber Pilot, his courage and coolness in the face of adversity played the major part in their saving. I think Bill should have been awarded a V.C. for his selflessness and courage in saving his crew, but sadly that was not to be.
F/Lt Bill North
“No, I was not specially decorated. I simply received the normal medals. Of course one has to remember that no-one in authority would have learned of our crash landing and I for my part, was only too pleased that we survived the war – particularly as I have recently learned of the extent of the RAF losses on 4thJuly. I was not afraid, there was so much to do and think about what would follow. Above all I was concerned about how strong my father would be when he received the telegram telling him I was missing.”
Above. Bill and Dennis reunited after 67 years on 20th Mar 2011.
Les Morton now lives in Australia.
Mini Section Christmas Party – Sunday 11th December
You are all welcome to join in the festive activities from 1pm Sunday 11th December. After the morning training session, the Mini Section will be holding its Christmas Party,
so one would suggest that children bring along a change of clothing – ‘Dress to Impress’, food and drinks, possibly a visitation from the ‘man in red’ (who could that be we ask?), sing along with ‘Sir Les’.
We will be collecting presents for a local childrens’ home; so bring any presents – wrapped with either boy/girl and age tag on them, that would be splendiferous
Hope to see everyone there, especially to thank Kathy and her team a massive thank you.
for more information:
wait for a text/email from Jo!
or click here; christmas party invite
Pinner RFC shine @Pinner Show with Saracens RFC and Aviva Trophy
First time out at Pinner Show – a great success
Pinner Rugby Club, with Club Partners Saracens RFC, took part in the Pinner Village Show organised by the Rotary Club of Pinner, for the first time this weekend.
The Village Show was, once again a great success – fun for all the families who ventured into the park. It contained many local charity and craft stalls, entertainments and of course Pinner Rugby Club.
Local residents and visitors from further afield came in good numbers throughout the day, despite the intermittent rain showers. The Kiddies Fun Fair, the miniature steam train and the many local charity stalls were in attendance at the Rotary Club of Pinner’s Pinner Village Show. The Merry-Downers Morris Dancers, the Harrow Concert Band and the Tug of War events kept the crowds well and truly entertained
Many Pinner Rugby Club members braved mixed weather to raise awareness of our club and hopefully gained some new players.
The day didn’t get off to a great start when Minis Chairman Spud had great difficulties putting up the club tent (a new club gazebo is on the way thankfully!) failing to recognise that you can’t put it up inside out! After a succession of Rotary Club members tried to aid the suffering Spud, former Mini’s Chairman Steve George was called into action and promptly alleviated a minor disaster.
At 10.15 the Aviva Trophy arrived on our stand along with Saracens young star Geoffrey Sella (son of French international Phillipe Sella) ready to meet and greet the local community and have their photograph taken with both Geoffrey and the trophy. As you can see, Pinner members were very keen to get their hands on the trophy and Geoffrey was fantastic throughout the day, signing autographs, showing off his skills and playing demonstration rugby – as he is currently injured this had to be limited although witnesses said that he was awesome despite a light slip resulting in getting covered in mud – a few eagle eyed passer byes saw him take his top off and remarked that suddenly they liked rugby (you can follow Geoffrey on twitter – @geof_sella)
Stars of the future
Throughout the day, players from all levels of the club came down to support our publicity drive, seniors from the first team, club captain Reza Sibilant got his hands on the trophy with a beaming smile; the youth under 15s were out in force along with manager Brad Seiler, under 7s & 8s coach Andy Nash, a Saracens fan, also got ‘up and close’ with the silverware. Players from all squads were in presence and worked tirelessly in promoting our club; as a result many new faces were seen at training during Sunday morning, great work.
Then for something different: Pinner entered the tug of war competition; firstly testing themselves against each other then taking on all-comers, including the Morris Dancers. All succumbed to the brilliant effort by Pinner – out-right winners, well done.
The day proved to be a great success, many made their way to the club to watch some fantastic rugby in the form of the 1st XV versus Old Merchant Taylors and the Pelicans first outing of the new season versus Uxbridge 2nds (match reports and photographs on website)
Pinner Rugby Club is a club Partner of Saracens RFC and this has allowed us to bring them down to the club next Sunday 25th September for a morning of ‘Super Sarries Sunday’; where they will be once again bringing the Aviva Trophy, players, coaches and ‘Sarrie’ the mascot. It will be a fantastic opportunity to have your photograph taken with the above and be part of the Saracens Pixel wall. All welcome and please bring down your friends. The under 15s will also be playing a pre league friendly match versus Fullarians RFC (also a Saracens Club Partner).
The raffle proved to be a great success, a big thank you to Saracens again for supplying the first prize. The draw was made after training on Sunday – the winners were:
3rd Prize: a rugby ball – Les Chaffe
2nd Prize: Signed rugby ball by Austin Healey – Monty Meghjee
1st Prize: 10 match tickets for Saracens home fixture at Wembley – Max Alexander
Congratulations to them, contact will be made within the next couple of days an the first prize will be presented during ‘Super Sarries Sunday’
A view from the Little Rugby Academy:
Saturday 17th September and Pinner Show has arrived, the Little Rugby Academy ‘Big Toddle’ with the help of Pinner Rugby Club, Starbucks, PCF and Pinnora Photography is up and running and we seem to have taken over the area. There is a great buzz about the place, our Barnardo’s Big Toddle (walk round the park) will take place at 11.30am and now we have to set up the stands. With the wind and rain trying to dampen our spirits gazebo’s are erected and tables are readied, Starbucks arrive with their coffee and smoothies, Saracens arrive with the Aviva trophy, and two players, and the children start to arrive with parents. Next door Pinner RFC stand is busy and opposite Starbucks are selling raffle tickets with a cup of coffee as a great incentive. We have special limited edition t-shirts and at a snip of £5 each walkers start buying them and wearing them. LRA’s mascot ‘Lenny the Lion’ gets warmed up and ready for the walk. With everyone ready we begin our walk around the park, and yes guess what happens the heavens open, but that will not stop us, as we walk in and out of the other stands collecting money from as many people as we can, the children are enjoying it, and by the looks on their faces so are the parents. Round we go, up to ‘Daisy’s in the Park’, I am sure they did not know what hit them, a huge lion and masses of children and parents in Barnardo’s t-shirts, rain what rain, we didn’t care, money and more money was dropped into the collection buckets. Then we spyed a gathering under a tree, and off we went, they were sheltering from the rain, we just walked over to them and they dug deep and put more money in the buckets. As we came to the end of the walk the sun came out, just in time to dry us out. What a walk, fantastic, we hid in the trees, we danced in the rain, but above all had a great time. Starbucks then had to deal with us all at one time, Latte please, Cappuccino please, make it hot!!!!
We went round a couple of times with the buckets and they were getting heavier and heavier.
Shouts went out, come and buy some raffle tickets from the Starbucks stand, some great prizes, 1 night at Sheraton Skyline Hotel, LRA T-shirt, Free photo session from PInnora Photography, Starbucks coffee and mugs, Little Willows Activity voucher, the place went mad and more tickets were sold.
Loads of photo’s were taken, lots of coffee drunk, great friendships made, but above all lots of money was raised for Barnardo’s Big Toddle,
A huge thank you, to the following:
Fernando and Audi from Starbucks, Great coffee guys, Natalie from Pinnora Photography for always being ready to take photo’s, PCF for their support, All the guys from Pinner Rugby Club, Luke for being a great Lenny the Lion, and of course all the mums and dads with their children braving the weather to help Little Rugby Academy’s Big Toddle be a great success.
A few of the Limited Edition T shirts are still available to purchase at £5 each all money going to Barnardo’s Big Toddle. Please call Les Chaffe on 07596464321 to purchase them.
‘Money for old rope’ – Simple Fundraising
This is the new Fund Raising Icon on the Pinner website. Spud’s at it again!
What is it?
Whenever you click on this icon from our website, we make money for the club; it’s as simple as that.
We have registered with Simple Fundraising. They give us money whenever you go through their site when buying anything online. If you use the internet to buy items click on the Icon on the right hand side under Fixtures and Forthcoming Events and it will direct you to the site. All you need to do is register and continue your shopping. By using this site we as a club get payment if you purchase (at a discount) via this website. There are no tricks to this and as a club we can earn money by using this website
Pinner Rugby Club Fundraising Website
Q: What’s the catch?
A: There is absolutely no catch whatsoever!
Each of the retailers involved with this programme are prepared, and committed, to pay our club a commission for providing them with additional custom.
It’s that simple – they are rewarding our club for providing them with customers.
The key success to making sure that Pinner Rugby Club fundraising website raises as much money as possible is to ensure that as many of you as possible use www.pinnerrugby.com website when you do your shopping online.
So if you plan to use a site, such as Amazon or Tesco online, to purchase anything, please do it through Simple Fundraising via our website: www.pinnerrugby.com
Therefore, it is fundamental that Pinner Rugby Club members go shopping online via the Pinner Rugby Club Fundraising Website
It’s A Win-Win Situation!
By shopping online, members of Pinner RFC will invariably save money on products and services that they are most likely to purchase anyway. Plus, we receive money from each retailer every time someone shops on their site.
Everybody wins!
Discount Codes & Vouchers.
Each of the retailers involved are committed to helping our members save money and every day they provide discount codes and vouchers.
Example of St Mary’s High School’s existing fundraising site
www.simplefundraising.co.uk/1001/
You can simply use the Pinner Rugby Club Fundraising Website webpage without registering, if you so prefer. By using this webpage as a launch pad to online shopping, we will still raise money.
The Pinner Rugby Club Fundraising webpage has a shopping directory of many popular UK retailers that have an online presence – major household names, such as Tesco, Direct Line, Amazon, HMV, Boots, Carphone Warehouse, Thomas Cook as well as a plethora of independent retailers.
Each month, they will add more suitable retailers to our fundraising website.
When members use the shopping directory to visit the retailers any purchases that they make will result in earning a commission.
The commissions are paid by the retailer from their profit – there is no additional cost to members. In fact, shopping online is usually cheaper so you could well be saving yourself money as well.
To protect individual’s privacy, only the retailer knows who the customer is and the details of each individual purchase. This sensitive information is never passed on. At the end of each month, commissions from each retailer are combined and we are sent that amount of money direct to Pinner RFC.
So, in short, if you use the internet to purchase anything please use the link on the website, the more people who use it the more money we can raise for our club
Cheers
Spud
The Rugby Camp @ Pinner RFC: A great week, photos,videos and a whole lot more
Bad weather has not dampened the spirit and enthusiasm for the youngsters attending the Socious Rugby Camp at Pinner RFC this week. They have endured a lot of rain, sun and a little bit of cloud cover whilst fine tuning their rugby skills. Over thirty players ranging from under 8s to under 15s have been taking part in a variety of rugby activities from tackling, ball handling and throwing skills. The coaches; Tom, Gordon and ‘H’ have got them working drills, learning new skills and developing those which they already have.
Those who will be playing TAG this season have been working on a program designed to develop the core skills and build confidence.
The slightly older children have worked on starting contact rugby, starting with the basics and moving on to the more advanced sessions as the week progressed
Players from the under 13s and under 15s youth sides have worked particularly hard on position specific, game sense, team tactics and appropriate skills such as rucking and mauling.
There has been so much activity this week, it’s been difficult to keep up; all youngsters have been involved in rugby games such as rugby tennis, dodge ball, rabbit run and a whole lot more that don’t have names!
Then of course there have been the core fitness sessions – these have been feared as the week has gone on; but as the coaches pointed out, if the youngsters do these for five minutes every day it will make great improvements in their fitness. The one that stood out the most was the ‘Plank’ – looked very painful to the observer! Callum George outlasting everyone; lasting 5mins 45 seconds!
All the youngsters have really enjoyed learning the Haka, taught by ‘H’ and they will perform this for the parents during the final day presentations on Friday, I hope they have learnt to stick their tongues out! A video of the youngsters performing the Haka will be uploaded after they have performed it, in the meantime here are a couple of examples of different Haka War Dances (the Lego one is cool!). Please click on image below to follow link
Click on the image below to watch the Rugby Camp players perform their Haka (youtube)
When the sun made a sneaky appearance on Thursday afternoon, it allowed the youngsters to dry off in time for the celebration BBQ and time to relax with coaches, club members, parents and newly made friends; a great way to finish off a day of hard rugby.
The youngsters will be presented with certificates and mouth guards during the final afternoon during the presentation ceremony.
There are a few photos taken during the week (they are password protected, if you didn’t get the password email Jo – jotalbot2002@yahoo.co.uk for the password)
A big thank you to members of Pinner Rugby Club for their support this week, who, without them the Rugby Camp would not have happened. To all the parents who delivered and picked up their children, they will tell how good it has been.
A special mention goes to Brad (#2 winger) and ‘Minty’ who along with Spud (aka #1 winger) have worked tirelessly this week to convert a cupboard into the new club shop, which will, hopefully, make purchasing club/rugby attire a lot easier.
N.B. reminder that this Saturday 27th August sees the ‘Club get together’ with touch rugby, BBQ, live international rugby – Ireland v England and a fully stocked bar. Also we will be holding a Raffle on Saturday; the winner will receive a Family Ticket to a Saracens Game at Wembley. Family ticket is for 10 persons.
Cheers
Spud
Rugby World Cup 2011 Competition all invited: Prize money
Dear Rugby aficionados and friends of Pinner Rugby Club
It’s been four long years since Mark Cueto scored that try but the RWC is once again upon us!
Can the All Blacks win on home soil like they did in1987 or will they choke again? Will the Aussies find a front 5 to match their brilliant back division? Do the ageing Springboks fancy their chances again?
In short yes and what of England? The final last time and winners in 2003 but do we have players who can produce the unexpected or is it Rugby by numbers?
At least some of our players can stay with their parents rather than use the team hotel!
What of the French and the rest of the home unions?
Frankly who cares but we know France always upset someone, who will it be this time?
After a number of seasons honing your skills in the 6 nations it is time to put your knowledge to the test on the biggest stage of all. I have set up an online tipping competition.
So if you think you’ve got what it takes to claim the top prize follow the details below …
If you think anyone else would be interested – other club members, friends, work colleagues or if you think I have missed someone please feel free to let them know.
The more who enter the bigger the prize and the more money for Pinner Rugby Club.
Good luck, happy ‘punting’… and if England make it has anyone got a ticket for the final ?
COMPETITION: Rugby World Cup 2011
START DATE: Fri 9th September 2011 – also deadline for entries.
COST: £20
PRIZE MONEY: 1st 50%, 2nd 25% and 25% to Pinner Rugby Club,
HOW TO ENTER:
Log onto http://www.sportguru.co.uk/ click on the “Register Now” button, then the “Rugby World Cup” button and fill in your details (they don’t ask for many but for those older players please follow the instructions!).
Once you have done this, search for the pool called “Pinner Rugby Club” and apply to join pool. Once I have accepted you into the pool you will be free to enter your tips by following the instructions.
Payment of the entry fee will need to be made before the start of the competition; I will email tipsters again once the competition has started with instructions on how to make payment.
RULES:
Each ‘punter’ must submit their picks and margin before the deadline stipulated on the Sportsguru website. You can only enter your tips once so make sure you are certain of your tips before entering them as you cannot amend them afterwards!
There are 7 preliminary rounds, followed by the quarter finals, semi finals and then the final. You will receive points for correctly tipping the result of the game and also bonus points if you are within 5 points on your margin.
There will also be bonus points and grand slam points awarded, check out the “Scoring System” tab for more information on how the comp will be scored.
If you forget to put your tips in for a game you will be given the default tip by sports guru, check out the “Defaults” tab for more info on this.
The person with the highest number of points at the end of the competition takes the top prize, the runner up will also receive some prize money and importantly the club will get the rest.
Good Luck and please pass on
Pad Bamford
