jack windsor
November 20, 2018 at 10:12 am

RAF Memorial Chapel…

hi,good morning,
Just received this e-mail as I signed the petition, as i’m sure a lot of you reading this did, but for those who did not or knew nothing about it, here it is…

19 Nov at 1:13 PM

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In this year of memorials

and celebrations

is money really this important?

I am glad my visits were before the bean counters

and profit makers took over…

regards

jack…[/TD]

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[TD=”class: yiv2053842658content-wrap”] Dear Biggin Hill RAF Chapel friends,
Despite any wide publicity, partly because there was no parking for the Chapel, over 240 people, many of them having to stand, attended the Remembrance Day Service. With the demolition of the Vestry there are few chairs that can be stored within the Chapel and this resulted in the Air Training Corp building next door being raided for chairs so that the more senior could sit down.
After a moving Service, the first since Battle of Britain Day 2017, I was able to lay a wreath on behalf of all of the signatories to our petition, but this wasn’t without some drama!
Traditionally wreaths have always been laid after the Service, under the Spitfire and Hurricane Gate Guardians, in a separate ceremony. For reasons unknown, the Council and their BHMM Trust insisted on breaking with tradition and laying their wreaths during the Service at the Altar, something that has never been done before. They did not invite any other organisations, such as the ‘Friends of the Chapel’ who have cared for the buildings and Gardens of Remembrance for decades, to join them! This resulted in an unofficial wreath laying after the Service occurring under the Spitfire, which is marked up as flown by Pilot Officer Geoffrey Wellum 92 Squadron during the Battle of Britain. I participated in this, along with the Air Training Corp and the ‘Friends’. We had no difficulty in persuading the Rev Peter Hills to stay and conduct the ceremony, with Brian Rance Professor of Trumpet playing the last post. Members of the Trust and the Council had no involvement, mostly leaving before this occurred or viewing from a distance.
Please click here to see pictures and a full report of the Council’s and their BHMM Trust’s further ‘antics’ at the Remembrance Day Service on our Facebook page. May I encourage you to ‘like’ and contribute to the Facebook page :
https://www.facebook.com/Protect-Biggin-Hill-RAF-Chapel-1939582632926986/
As I always ask, please share this update with all your contacts, who can access the petition via the link below to continue signing in disgust to what has already happened and to fight any further indignities being inflicted on our RAF Memorial Chapel
https://you.38degrees.org.uk/petitions/protect-biggin-hill-st-george-s-raf-chapel-of-remembrance

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