Middlesbrough
and District Coldstream Guards Association
|
Founded
1931 |
Charity
No. 1121453 |
President.
Major Mark Chetwynd-Talbot |
Reunion
Events |

Coldstream
Cup York Racecourse |
|
Branch Visit to Sandhurst |
78th.
St. George's Stag Dinner |
Saturday
morning of the 25th April and Chairman John Ferguson and members of the committee
arrived at the Marton Hotel and Country Club to once again set up the Concert room ready for our Dinner. Don Castelow could be seen laying out thecentre piece of our dinner, three full tables of memorabilia which takes quite a time to set up and is always admired by our guests. ![]() With the menu's and name cards in place we left the young waitress to put the finishing touches to the tables, the last items being the blue red blue table napkins. The evening arrived and I stood at the door of the Hotel to welcome our members and guests which included our President Major Mark Chetwynd Talbot and the Regimental Adjutant, Major E M Crofton. Our main guest were taken to the reception room where they were welcomed by the President, they included V/P Captain David Gardner, V/P David Gajda, WOI RSM Mark Simpson (Royal Engineers)who just happens to be my nephew. Major David Smith QCDS DL, WOII David Waller ACIO Ashington, WOII Cleeve Langdon I/C Training at Catterick, C/Sgt L Westerman, RMA Sandurst, and Mr J Keegan, Secretary, Household Division , Durham and Teesside. The
music of Milanollo was heard as we stood to welcome our guests and they all marched
into the room. ![]() Chairman John Ferguson then called upon me to say grace, this done we sat down to enjoy a traditional dinner. Consisting of vegetable soup followed by a roast beef and Yorkshire pudding dinner with season vegetables then homemade apple pie with custard and completed with coffee, cheese and biscuits swiftly served by the waitresses. The meal over it was time for our speakers, the first being our President who proposed the Loyal Toast after reading a letter of congratulations and thanks from our Colonel-in-Chief, Her Majesty The Queen. He then went on to welcome our guests which included WOI (RSM) M Simpson, Major David Smith QCVS Dl, Mr Franco Gasparotti, Founder and Chairman of Coldstream Kids, Mr Graham Prince MBE of Victoria Prints. Who's company is a donor to our website for which we are very grateful The Presidentals also welcomed two young Sappers in our company, Sappers Craig Simpson and Paul Curtis. We had members of London, Hull, Sunderland and Newcastle branches present. England and St George was proposed by Vice President, Malcolm Finkill who tried hard with a few tips from one of our guests Mr John Welsh who was enjoying a quiet night. Next it was the turn of Major Crofton to respond and update us on the battalion, No 7 Company, RHQ and Regimental Headquarters before thanking us for a very enjoyable evening and a brilliant set up. Our final speaker was Captain David Gardner who I forgot to mention earlier is also President of the Household Division Association Durham and Teesside who proposed The Regiment and The Association in his imitable style. It
was now time to make the presentations to our speakers and as I approached our
President with the first gift, Vice President Malcolm Finkill called for order
as he asked the Regimental Adjutant to make a presentation. ![]() It was to a member of the Branch who had dedicated his life to its service, with outstanding devotion and loyalty. He then said 'Our Secretary' Mannie Cook, well! Talk about being gob smacked, I stood there in awe and finally received my award from Major Crofton who thanked me for my excellent work. Gentlemen; I enjoy doing what I do and I appreciate all the kind words that are spoken of me, but I am only too pleased that I am able to do these things for my branch members and the Association and I thank you from the bottom of my heart for this award. Now I can get back to what I was about to do and that was ask our President to present a print of a Guardsman on guard to the Regimental Adjutant Major Crofton. Followed by a presententation to Vice President David Gardner a set of Coldstream cuff links. So another very successful St George's had dinner come to a close, time from serious drinking and reminiscing. I was assisted by members of the committee in collecting our memorabilia and Don Castelow his. In closing I would like to pass on my thanks to two people who came along on both morning set up and evening clear up. First Don's wife Marita who brought him in the morning and collected him a night and Mr Ron Ambridge an Australian friend of our Chairman John Ferguson, who came along with John on the morning and busied himself helping where he could, thank you both. Thanks also to Malcolm and John for all your hard work and Norman Wise for assisting with the raffle .Mannie Cook Hon Secretary |
HOMECOMING
PARADE |
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