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Greetings from the new Area Officer, Cdr ES Langley RN
Ladies/Gentlemen.
Having been in post for almost a week now I firstly wanted to say Hello to all and re-assure you that, in the short term anyway, nothing will change and that all orders and instructions put in place by my predecessor will remain in force. In the longer term, and when I have my feet firmly under the table, I will take a close look at how we do business but rest assured I will not be making any snap judgements and democracy, rather then autocracy, is my mantra.
As a Warfare Officer (/PWO(A)/AAWO) and having spent some 20 years plus at Sea in a variety of platforms-small and big- and in recent memory, some shore time working for Dstl as the Senior Maritime advisor to MoD and as the CO of the Defence EW Database at RAF Waddington I believe I have a lot of experience to offer. Similarly, I also have a lot to learn and will initially be listening rather than transmitting (unusual for an AWWO I know!).
Finally – my door is always open and if you have issues you want to discuss or just seek impartial advice please don’t hesitate to call or visit (but ring ahead) – similarly I would welcome your views. I look forward to seeing you all in due course.
Regards.
Cdr E S Langley RN
AO, Eastern Area
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Seamanship Class 3 Course
Chief Devonport.A will be starting a Class 3 s/ship course from Monday 1st March. This is a 3 day course and will qualify you (if passed) for 3 points and the Seamanship Spec badge. Nominated attendees are:
OC. YARWOOD-MILNE, Daniel
OC. MURRAY, Matthew
Cdt. CLARK, Roseanne
Cdt. GARRETT, Eazalie Tamia
Cdt. FROST, Robert
Cdt. OLDROYD, Thomas
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Farewell from Commander Clive Smith Royal Navy
Dear Ladies, Gentlemen and Young People
My time as your Area Officer will soon be at an end, as will my career in the Royal Navy. I hand over the role of Eastern Area Officer to Commander Eric Langley Royal Navy in three weeks time on 5 March, and I leave the Service on 2 July, after 32 years.
I would like to thank each and every one of you for making my time in post so enjoyable, and I will take with me, nothing but fond memories. My journey in uniform began when I joined Clacton Sea Cadets in 1972, and it has been a great privilege for me to have come full circle and served as your Area Officer for my last job in the Royal Navy. I hope I have given a little something back to the organisation that gave me so much, not least an excellent start in life. I will be incredibly sad to leave this job, as I believe it to be one of the most fulfilling and rewarding of my entire RN career, second only to the incredible honour of Commanding one of her Majesty’s warships.
I think that it would be true to say, that on occasions, we have not always seen eye to eye over the last three years, but I hope I have remained approachable and receptive to your concerns and worries about the strategic and tactical direction of the Corps, and of the importance and value of the adult volunteers and cadets. Sadly, due in the most part to the size of the Area, the number of units, the considerable workload, and the reality that there are only twenty four hours in a day! I have not visited all the units as often as I would have liked, and this is a regret that I will take with me into retirement.
I would like to wish each of you individually every success in whatever direction the future takes you, and collectively, I wish Eastern Area the very best.
Thank you, it has been a great pleasure to have met and worked with you all.
Yours Aye
Cdr Smith
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Thanks to 'Kaizen Telecom'
A formal handover was carried out by the engineer who fitted the unit's new telecommunication system.
Following our appeal last November, Kaizen Telecom came forward and offered to fit a new 6 point telephone system with enhanced internet performance and improved inter-unit communication.
Many thanks go to Simon Ball seen here.
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New Marine Cadets Detachment Commander
Two new postings have taken place recently by members of the Marine Cadets;
The first is Lt Geoff Johnstone (SCC) RMR who has accepted the brand new position of Troop Commander, 4 Troop. This 'promotion' means he will be leaving us and we wish him all the very best with the new position.
The second new posting is Geoffs replacement, with Sgt Gary Clayton accepting the challenge of Detachment Commander.
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Annual General Meeting
It is the intention of the Chair and Committee to hold the Annual General Meeting on Thursday 18th Feb 2010 at the unit HQ, Racecommon Road, Barnsley. All parents & supporters are welcome to attend at 7pm.
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Back in Uniform
With the central heating now repaired, all unit members are now to parade in uniform as of Mon 15th Feb.
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£3,000 - Thanks to Largo
A big 'Thank You' goes to the Largo Group based in Ossett and particularly Rachael Withers for organising a Charity Ball at the Leeds Met Hotel. Barnsley Unit provided 6 cadets to act as a guard of honour/stewards.
With guests donating to the unit's cause, the total amount raised was £3000.
More pictures can be seen in the Picture Gallery
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Special THANKS to these people...
The last week has seen a fantastic offer of help from a variety of sources; parents, P&SA and the public & commerce alike. With new toilets & kitchen facilities being offered for free, our budget can stretch even further.
In return for these kind offers of help we would like to say a big thank you to the following;
LARGO LEGAL & RECEIVABLE- for the Charity Ball
RC WASTE CARE - for their free skips
BARNSLEY 148 SQ ATC - for the use of their building
SUE & ANDY KEYWORTH - for organising a 'Psychic Supper' event and donating & fitting the much needed electrical shower.
CHRIS PATZELT - for fresh ideas & advice
DOUG CARLING - for providing valuable contacts!
SIMON BALL & BOB BRETTON - for fitting the new unit telephone system
And finally, our thanks go to the the Parents & Supporters Association for the work they have contributed over the last week or so, particularly the two Angie's, Donna and Irene.
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999 Weekend - 28th June
Barnsley Cadets yet again attended the annual 999 weekend gala at Elsecar Heritage Center. Displays by cadets included firefighting, rescuing from heights, relay races and practical problem solving scenarios.
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Fundraising
Thank you to all the cadets and Parents and Friends Association for all their hard work in Barnsley Interchange on Saturday 14th March.
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Royal Navy Parade
Thanks to everyone who attended out Royal Navy Parade on Thursday 12th March 2009
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Thanks to St Luke's Fund
Special thanks to the St Luke's Fund for their donation towards the refurbishment of our Heads (Toilets).
Thank you very much from all the cadets and staff of TS Diomede.
St Luke's Fund
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POC Clark now ET Clark
After 9 weeks of training former POC Jamie Clark is now ETWE(SM) Jamie Clark, after passing out at HMS Raleigh.
After a well earned weekend off he will be back at HMS Raleigh to start his phase 2 training before further training to become a submariner.
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All at Sea
Well almost we were on board.
Cadets and Staff from TS Diomede traveled to Liverpool to visit the units affiliated ship RFS Fort Victoria.
Cadets were given a tour of the ship, shown a video about the role of the RFA, given some practical navigation instruction and had the opportunity to indulge in some damage control and fire fighting practice (which of course meant getting rather wet).
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St Georges Society
Our Thanks to the St Georges Society, for the donation of £250 following their Jacket Potato supper night.
Thank you very much.
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PLT Evening
Thurs 27th Nov saw a visit by our local RN Recruitment Team from Sheffield.
Gary Cardwell brought with him some great resources enabling the cadets to practice their skills in 'Practical Leadership Tasks'.
Four teams of 5 had to overcome a practical problem made more difficult with rules & boundaries. Each team led by a cadet leader learned how to build a team, devise a plan or a solution and overcome the problem.
Everyone gained something from the sessions and a big thank you goes out to the Armed Forces Careers Office, Sheffield for their support
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We're in the 'Navy News' again!
We've done it again, see the three articles on pages 42 & 43 (bookmarked) Click on the relevent links for each edition.
Nov 08
April 08
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Thanks to Mr Train
Special thanks to Mr Mick Train who ran the the Great North run for us.
Raising much needed funds for the unit.
Thank you
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Remembrance Parade 08
This years Remembrance Parade had a new format for ourselves. We effectively 'spread' ourselves with two separate parades; one in Barnsley itself and the other in Grimethorpe; parish of our Padre, Father Peter.
In Barnsley our participation consisted of the usual Standard bearing duties along with wreath laying as well as forming a contingent for the parade itself. In Grimethorpe we provided a Cenotaph Sentry and Colour bearer at the request of the Royal British Legion.
Both events were extremely well attended with cadets and public alike with cadets enjoying every minute of the parade, though the cold did get to one or two of them..!
Well done to you all.
See more pictures here...
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Trafalgar Mess Dinner
Oct 24th. It was that time of year again when the staff got together with some specially invited supporters to celebrate Nelsons victory at Trafalgar.
A splendid 3 course meal was prepared by James Hawkshaw (a student chef) and served by cadets Sue and Ashleigh.
Special guests included members of the RNA and the ATC.
A special dessert was prepared by Father Peter and consisted of chocolate cakes shaped into 3 wooden walled ships o' the line, each having sails with lit sparklers finishing off the display with a cannon fire effect.
Outstanding FP!
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Laura Jumps for the Unit
Once more Laura goes that extra yard; in fact it was 5,000 yards (15,000 ft) when she jumped out of a plane and descended to mother earth in an attempt to raise funds for the unit.
In August she raised sponsorship of around £500 and in her own words 'It was the most awsome thing' she has ever done.
Well Done!
More pictures here
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Officer Cadet Frudd RFA
Congratulations to Laura as she graduates from Britannia Royal Naval College, Dartmouth.
Laura started her career with the Royal Fleet Auxiliary in June, completing her 7 weeks Officer training at the internationally respected academy at the end of July, with a spectacular passing out parade in front of VIP's families & guests.
A very proud day for Laura, ourselves and her family
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Promotion for Commanding Officer
The latest promotion in the unit goes to Caroline Devonport, now Chief Petty Officer (CPO).
Having recently attended her Commanding Officers Course at HMS Excellent, Portsmouth, she is now better equipped and eager to take the unit forward.
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999 Weekend
April 26/27 saw the cadets taking part in the 999 Weekend at Elsecar Heritage Centre, Barnsley.
Police Cars, Fire Appliances & Ambulance's from across the country as well as other emergency services such as St. Johns, Road Safety Speed Camera Vehicles and Industrial Fire Appliances were in attendance for a fantastic two days of activities. (More Pictures)
Whilst the Parents & Friends Association provided a fundraising stall, the cadets took the centre stage alongside the South Yorks Fire Service with a remarkable display in fire fighting techniques using Breathing Apparatus, Ladders, hoses & Nozzles and their very own Fire Engine!
A spectator was heard to remark,
‘Those trainee fire-fighters are good!’
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New Skipper at the Helm
After three years as the Commanding Officer of TS Diomede, CPO Andy Devonport has decided to step aside due to other commitments and hand the wheel over to his wife Caroline.
Andy said,
'My time as CO has been a challenge with the unit achieving much over the last three years including;
A new boating venue resulting in higher then the national average in boating qualifications & hours on the water;
An established liaison with our affiliated ship, RFA Fort Victoria resulting in regular visits;
Increased cadet numbers achieving a huge amount of qualifications.
Too many in fact to mention here.
'I do leave however confident in Carolines ability to take the unit further and would like to thank everybody involved for their assistance during my time.'
CPO Devonport will remain with the unit as the Executive Officer
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Ship Training Week
On Sunday 10th Feb the unit was privileged to carry out a weeks training onboard our affiliated ship, RFA Fort Victoria. Berthed in Portsmouth, the ship is undergoing a ‘rest period’ prior to a two year refit and provided ourselves an excellent backdrop to a vast range of training facilities.
24 cadets (including 6 Air Cadets) enjoyed activities including simulated Fire-Fighting, Damage Control, Expedition Training, Visit to RAF Odium, Chinook Helicopter familiarisation, First Aid Training and Heritage visits from HMS Victory and the RN Submarine Museum, to the Royal Museum and ‘Action Stations’.
Above is a shot of Cdt Sgt Drury providing encouragement to a young Marine Cadet during the Firefighting training. More pictures of our week can be seen in the gallery.
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Barnsley's 65th Birthday Reunion
On the 1st of September 1942 (during the war!) Barnsley Sea Cadets was born along with around 200 other units. The intention was to two-fold; firstly it was in response to the great desire for very young men to serve their country, secondly it formed part of the propaganda campaign of the time.
What better way to harness this enthusiasm but to welcome them into the Sea Cadets?
On the evening of Saturday 1st September 2007, we at Barnsley paid tribute to our past 'Diomediens' by holding a reunion.
The very first Commanding Officer was Lt Goodyear (founder member of West Riding Sailing Club) with his son Peter, being one of the first cadets joining.
65 years later Peter was our principle guest, and along with his sister Jean, took part in cutting the Unit Birthday Cake in front of 56 former 'Diomediens' from over the years.
Following a series of evolutions by todays cadets, the Diomediens witnessed a tribute by Peter, toured the unit, visited the 'Photo Gallery' (where there was more than a few recognitions!) and spoke at length about the old days.
By the end of the evening we as a unit discovered alot more of our past, reunited old friends and gained a few more photos from our past. More Photos...
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New Boating Venue For Cadets
A success for Barnsley Sea Cadets was achieved when we managed to secure a new boating venue in time for the start of the new boating season.
The Activity Centre provides an extensive range of fresh water (1 mile in length), complemented with a fully equipped boat station consisting of changing facilities and showers, classroom, catering facilities, parking and limited storage.
Activities cadets will be taking part in include all the boating disciplines from power to sailing, and from windsurfing to canoeing.
As the centre is a recognised Royal Yachting Association (RYA) teaching establishment, we can now qualify cadets in the full range of boating skills without the need to attend a separate venue for assessments.
A very busy year ahead for boating!
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Mayors Buffet for the Cadet Forces of Barnsley
Every year the Mayor of Barnsley very kindly invites the three cadet forces of Barnsley to an evening buffet held in the Town Hall.
Her Worship the Mayor of Barnsley Cllr. Margaret Morgan welcomed the cadets individually through the doors and throughout the evening spoke to each of the cadets in turn. A particular highlight was the presentation of a surprise birthday cake to a 7 years young, Master Henry Clark. Following the delicious buffet, an inter-cadet quiz took place with the lucky winners (ATC) taking the prize of a tin of chocolates.
Click here for more pictures
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High Sheriff of South Yorkshire Award
The High Sheriff of South Yorkshire Award is made to a nominated candidate whom the Sheriff feels has contributed the most to a voluntary organisation in South Yorkshire. Our Training Officer, Petty Officer Caroline Clark was nominated for this award earlier in the year and was successful in being short listed for the award. Although another candidate won the award we feel that Caroline at least won some recognition for her hard work.
Seen here is the Sheriff presenting Caroline her Certificate of Nomination at a ceremony held at Sheffield University in March
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Christmas Working Party
The unit HQ benefited from some decoration work over the festive period with cadets helping where possible. The new look will provide a brighter surround and create more space. We even managed to create a further classroom thanks to some clever re-organisation.
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Lord Lieutenant Cadet
Petty Officer Cadet Laura Frudd was awarded the distinguished position of Lord Lieutenants Cadet last week, at a presentation in Dinnington, South Yorks. Along with a representative from both the ATC and the ACF, Laura gave an exceptional presentation on her achievements since joining the cadets.
Her duties for the next twelve months include official accompaniment and escort to the Lord Lieutenant, David Moody Esquire at various functions and occasions around the county.
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Goodbye to Star Cadet
After 3.5 years with us, Christopher Stone is to leave us (under good circumstances).
At the age of 16 and having achieved his predicted GCSE grades, he has passed an Admiralty Interview Board and has been accepted to attend the military college Welbeck in Leicestershire from September. All being well, Chris will eventually join the Royal Navy as an engineering officer.
Although we are sorry to lose such an excellent cadet, we know he is on the road to greater things and we all wish him well with his future.
Here is Chris at our Children in Need party last year, taking the dance floor by storm!!
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Cadet Heads Abroad
On the 3rd July for 17days, Cadet Petty Office Frudd, got the chance to go on an exchange through the cadets to go to Sweden. She was 1 of 3 cadets that were chosen to go. She met many other cadets from other countries, USA, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Lithuanian and Russia, along with learning many new skills and training with Swedish Cadets. Here is what she got up to.
"On Monday 3rd July, myself, a cadet from Northern Ireland and Devon and our Escort Officer from London, flew to Stockholm, where our exchange began! Once all the other countries, (US, Canada, Australia, Sweden, Lithuanian and Russia), have arrived we traveled by bus to our first stop, which was in the town of Härnösand, a 5-hour bus drive north of Stockholm. Were we spend the night there in blocks in the old naval port. The morning after we went by boat out to the Sea Cadet Summer camp (SCS) on the island of Lungö where we spend the following 3 days. During the time at the SCS we trained with the Swedish cadets, who were amazing people. We also got to explore the "High Coast" - area that is very beautiful. (It is one of the places listed on the "UNESCO world heritage" list). On our final day there we got the change to try traditional Swedish food, this consisted of Moose, Deer, Reindeer, Cheese, and I can’t forget the Fermented Herron (fish that has been left to rot).
During the first weekend we traveled southwards through Sweden with a camping bus, ‘The Pink Caravan’. During this time we learnt about each other’s culture and many games, we even got to try some traditional food from other cultures!
Late Sunday night we arrive in the city of Karlskrona and were transferred out to the island of "Kungsholms Fort" where we joined the second SCS and spend the following 4 days there training with the Swedish cadets. We also toured the city of Karlskrona, the Naval Port and the Maritime Museum during one day before we left Karlskrona.
The last evening we had have a farewell dinner, with the rest of the ISCA and then on July 19th it was time to say good-bye to all our new friends and traveled back home.
The activities at the SCS include a mix of sailing, boating, seamanship, navigation, adventure training, communications and drill.
What I learnt from the exchange is that, no matter your nationality, religion or background, were humans and kids that want to have fun! And if all the leaders of the countries could have seen us then we all reckon that they would have a different opinion on war and poverty!
By the end of the exchange we all felt like one big happy family, the two escort officers from Sweden, were like our parents, the escort officers from the other countries were like our Aunts and Uncles and us as cadets felt like brothers and sisters!
I’d like to say a big thank you to everyone in the Sea Cadet Core that was involved in allowing me to experience, the time I had! It has been a life changing experience!"
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Front left of the picture is Laura
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Mayors Parade, Barnsley
STOP PRESS - STOP PRESS
Barnsley Sea Cadets have been voted by the Mayor the winners of the parade with 'Best Float'
The annual procession for the Mayor of Barnsley was held on Saturday 15th July. We (the pirates!)along with other groups representing the youth of Barnsley turned out for a colourful and musical display showing what young people can achieve. It was a fantastic day with superb weather and enjoyed by all who attended.
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The Mayor meets and greets...
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...and the pirates parade!
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Weekend 22/23 July Gala's
The weekend of 22/23 July was a hectic weekend with 2 gala's being attended, back to back at two different venues by cadets. Both events saw cadets providing a display to the public in the form of a 'Fire-fighting' display. Breathing apparatus and extinguishers were used and a younger cadet had her life saved!
On the right are Fiona & Laura making an initial attack on a fire...
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On the left Claire and Melissa use a hose reel and Breathing Apparatus as the Support Team to fight the fire...
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and a rescue is performed...
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with a first aid party standing by ready to treat the injuries!
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Melissa taking a breath of fresh air after her 'heroic' moment!
This is just one evolution where cadets learn of the importance of working as a team using an exciting scenario in realistic conditions.
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