Report on our meeting held 30th October 2017

For our “Bring Something Evening” several members brought treasured items and talked about the stories behind them.

Ann Hudson brought a 1944 silk “Escape and Evade” map issued to WW2 combatants. The map belonged to her father. A Normandy port circled by him was the site of the British Mulberry Harbour put in place in June 1944. He must have been one of the 2.5 million men landed here over a 10 month period, along with 500,000 vehicles, and 4 million tons of supplies. Remnants of the harbour are still visible today.

Maureen Bell brought her mother’s pajama case embroidered with the badge of the Royal Artillery. One night during the war her father-to-be was guarding a searchlight and her nurse mother-to-be was walking home in the dark across fields. “Who goes there?” was father’s challenge. “It isn’t flaming Hitler” was mother’s response.  Romance blossomed over a cow pat.

Sal Cooke OBE brought the tiniest pair of binoculars, about 2 cm square. Bridlington post cards can be viewed in them. She obtained them through an amazing coincidence which seems to prove the “six degrees of separation” theory.

As a young man Bro John Walker worked at a service station in Gordon Road. He would bank part of his pay at the Midland Bank in Westgate on his way home. He showed some money scales used to weigh bags of coins from that now defunct bank.

Bro Tom Ainley brought two mystery objects.  The first members identified as a railway shunter’s horn used to warn pedestrians. The second was a series of wooden discs which fitted together, one on top of the other, each carrying a metal disc insert. Its purpose defeated everybody, including Bro Tom.

Gillian Bapty brought a brown slipware owl, the body being a jug and the removable head a cup. One has appeared on the Antiques Road Show and was sold for £20,000.  Alas, Gillian’s is a replica, but as a family present is much loved anyway.

Chris Gatenby showed a snuff box with the phrase “New Way to Pay Old Debts”. The family story is that this relates to the Boston Tea Party, as her grandfather was a steward on the Cunard Line Americas run. But Chris has proved this isn’t the case.

Bro Frederick Stephenson has an old photograph of the Priory and asked members to guess at the date.  The absence of an 1888 grave stone on the photo means it must have been taken before then.

Bro Alan Barry brought a kit bag which belonged to his father-in-law who flew Mosquitos during the war. Treasures it contained included worn wooly socks and one lamb’s wool lined flying boot, a leather flying helmet, and his log book.

Prior Garry Sunley thanked presenters and audience for an enjoyable evening.