The following members and prospective members attended
some or all of the weekend, which was based on scenic Cannock Chase: John Cotterill, Bob Brunsdon, Chris Finn, John
Harris, Chris John, David Nunn, David Harvey, Richard Barnes, Tony Otton, Ray
Wilkinson, Simon Andrews, Jeremy Mooney, Martin Green, Nicholas Gray, John
Hamill, Dave Gargett, Trevor Hek, Anthony Rich, Tim Halstead and Marc Yates.
The idea of the weekend was to look at some of the
UK options for Great War tour guides. Although we concentrated on sites on and
around Cannock Chase we also looked at what could be covered (including POW camps,
training camps and VAD hospitals) elsewhere in the country. In addition we visited
the ever-growing National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) at Alrewas, guided by Chris John,
and had the traditional guild weekend validations, dinner and quiz.
Our afternoon being guided around the NMA coincided with
the opening of their new visitor centre. If you have not been there recently,
there are lots of new memorials to be seen. The traditional Guild quiz that
evening was so hotly contested that it ended in a nail biting draw.
On Saturday we used a room at the Museum of Cannock Chase for a couple of validations and then heard fascinating talks from Dr Sarah Jane Veevers on VAD Hospitals and Guild Member Dr David Nunn on the Exemption Tribunals. The preserved Brocton Camp Training Hut was then opened for us and Chris John took us out onto the Chase onto the site of this huge camp to see Frieda's Grave and the site of the Messines Terrain Model. Dinner on Saturday in the Beefeater Grill at Longford House, Cannock. On Sunday I took everyone out onto the Chase again to hear tales from the German War Cemetery, Cannock Chase CWGC Cemetery and the Katyn Memorial. Then all over to Letocetum, or Wall as it is now called, for a masterclass from Guild member David Harvey on the Romans in Britain. Finished a weekend of good fellowship and hidden history with Sunday lunch The Trooper at Wall.
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