Video of WW2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours

Video of WW2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours, Feb 7th 2013

A video of the World War 2 Event at Chorlton Good Neighbours, celebrating 4 local WW2 veterans. The video show the build up to the event and the presentations to the two arctic convoy veterans, Bob Cowan & John Mackay, In addition,  Mickie Mitchell the petrol lorry driver and Alan Wood the fighter pilot, were also honoured at this event

Full versions of the videos shown at the event can be viewed online at:

Alan Wood: Fighter Pilot with coastal command, Banff Strike wing

Mickie Mitchell: She served in the army and then the Fire Service in Manchester during the blitz

John Mackay is another Arctic Convoy veteran who lives in Chorlton. Here is a video where he talks about his experiences on HMS Keppel in the Arctic Convoys

Bob Cowan: the World War Two Arctic Convoys and the Chorlton Good Neighbours campaign to get the British Government to allow veterans like Bob to received the medal of Ushakov from the Russian Government

Photos of WW2 Veterans Event, Feb 7th 2013

Photogallery of the event celebrating our Word War Two veterans  held on Feb 7th 2013 at Chorlton Good Neighbours.

Thanks to Carolyn O'Hanlon for the photos

Chorlton's Arctic Convoy veterans on Granada TV

Granada TV Tribute to Chorlton Good Neighbour's  World War 2 veterans

Local TV broadcast a short video of the event held on Feb7th at the Good Neighbours History Group meeting . Paul Crone of Granada TV interviewed the two Arctic Convoy veterans present - Chorlton Good Neighbours regular, Bob Cowan and John Mackay who we recently found out lived just down the road from Bob, but the two had never previously met

Report by Paul Crone

John Mackay and Bob Cowan talking to each other at the event

Some of the audience at the meeting

Sunday Tea with the Leetones

Sunday Tea with the Leetones

After Christmas it was back to normal for the Good Neighbour's Sunday Teas which take place the first Sunday of each month. At this tea, members were entertained by the Tony and Lisa of the Lee Tones  who sang such songs as Mary Wells's  "My Guy", Connie Francis's  "Who's Sorry Now", Carole Kings's  "Will You Still Love Me Tomorrow" and Chuck Berry's "Johnny B Goode" which still sounds as fresh today as when it came out 55 years ago

Helen also talks to Charlene a new volunteer who gives her impression of a first visit to our Sunday Tea event

Gardening Club on Ice

At a time when most animals are hibernating and most plants lying dormant we have had an unusually productive time at the Gardening Club.

In our first week back after Christmas we received a large consignment of manure - a very rich if odorous present! This is a good time to feed the soil for the growing season to come and this mix of chicken and horse manure will help do the job. As usual we had to use our combined strength and smarts to get the massive bag of manure through the narrow gate way!

The next week, snow and ice fell on the garden like a white sparkling cloak and outdoor work was put on ice.

However these quiet times are perfect for taking time to reflect and plan so we had a meeting to discuss what we would like to grow on the plot this year and fuelled ourselves with plenty of tea and cake. A fan of colours and visuals I brought a large piece of paper to roughly draw out our plot and write down our ideas, concerns and favoured fruit, flowers and veggies. As ever I was impressed by the wealth of knowledge and the enthusiasm that we have in this group of ours.

The next week the ground was still rock solid and the temperatures bitter cold so we got on with some indoor preparations; chitting potatoes, making plant labels out of old milk cartons and making seed pots from newspaper (see video below for Paul's tutorial). Again we discussed our plans for the garden, especially what type of greenhouse we want to install and where.

Our Gardening Sessions are 10-12.30 every Friday. If you would like to find out more contact us on 0161-881-2925 or come along to one of our sessions at St Ninian's Church, Egerton Road South and have a look for yourself. 

Carolyn O'Hanlon

Older Men Development Worker

Alan Wood - WW2 Fighter pilot

Alan Wood: World War Two Fighter Pilot

Alan Wood, 90, is a regular at Chorlton Good Neighbours but not many are aware of what a remarkable WW2 record that Alan has. Alan was at Manchester University in 1939 and whilst there joined the University Air Squadron. He was called up in July 1942 and went into training for the RAF. During this period he flew Mosquitos and Spitfires but when he was assigned to the Coastal command  Banff Strike wing in Scotland he flew beaufighters and mosquitos



It was during this time that he was shot down in the North Sea and spent four days adrift in a one-man dinghy until being spotted quite by chance by and Air Sea rescue member whilst they were out looking for someone else

                 

Alan Wood - WW2 Fighter pilotBanff strike wing main role was to attack German shipping off Norway and in the Fjords. Alan didn't talk at all about his war experiences to his wife Joan until 50 years later and with great sadness of the many young airmen who died. In one raid 23 planes went out and only 3 returned

This video starts with Joan Wood talking about her husband Alan and his experiences in WW2 when he was a young fighter pilot. There is then an excerpt from an RAF film about Banff Strike Wing where Alan was based

Mosquito aircraft in at low level attacking two  armed merchantmen In Norwegian Fjord with cannon and rocket fire, 4th April 1945

Happy New Year

Happy New Year to all our supporters. We are having a New Year's lunch on Tuesday 8th January, midday for some of our older members who have spent the majority of Christmas on their own.

A couple of requests to help us out:

1. Has anybody got any Christmas crackers (unused!) that they can spare for the lunch
   


2. If you have any unwanted Christmas presents and wish to recycle them please could you bring them into the office and if they are chocolates, the office staff will enjoy them very much! But seriously, any unused gifts will be used as raffle prizes at the New Year's lunch

With best wishes to you all,

Helen