Good digression!
It awoke memories which I offer. Lady W. was indeed musical and was a member of the large and competent St Boniface Church choir. I had been a deputy for some time but was surprised to be asked to stand as "RAF Churchwarden" c. 1993. To explain, St B. was a busy and happy mid-stream C of E garrison church often with both an army padre and a RAF padre, and always with an Army and RAF Churchwarden and two Deputies ............ I think leave and weekends enjoying Europe meant that to have one person responsible for front of house needed at least four technically capable, unlocking the door, organising the sidesmen/women, putting up hymn numbers, preparing the chalice for communions, sorting the font for baptisms and sorting out minor crises like drunks at the Midnight Mass 24/25 December. And counting the offertory, of which more later.
When Air Cdre Thorne's successor [Thomson?] asked me to become the new RAF Warden I could only point out the obvious, that I was not RAF. The armed services being what they are, I expect suitable [ie senior] RAF people had turned it down. As it happens I loved the secondary duty and had a lot of fun provoking my army opposite number. Jim had been the army Warden for years.
Jim had completed all of my up-front job when I turned up for my first Sunday at 0930 for 1000, this despite my being house-trained. For the next duty I arrived earlier at 0925 .......... Jim had matters sorted. No words were exchanged. For my next duty when Jim arrived the recording of bells was playing, the lights were blazing, candles lit and hymn numbers up ............ at 0900. Jim was reduced to mumblings and sheepish grins, and we could all go quietly back to the Ceremony of the Keys at 0930.
Back to the subject: a Churchwarden, however incompetent or inappropriate, cannot sing in the choir, so I was able to enjoy the very good music from the back. The big occasions such as BoB, Remembrance and visiting Bishops were full house, and Sir W. was a good attender. As I recall there was a degree of segregation, in that the army tended to be seated on the right side, and RAF left.
As to counting the collection, someone out there was often 'avin a larf'. The congregation was very mixed nationality, Brits, a lot of USA, some Canada, a few Belgians and Dutch. The collection was mostly Deutschmarks, Sterling, some dollars and often other currencies. And often there was a small coin or a button wrapped in silver foil.
Any Port for the MMU can wait a day or two.
Last edited by langleybaston; 17th Apr 2024 at 15:53.
Reason: for sh1t read shot