arboretum

(Alrewas, Staffordshire)
(Suggested by Dave Shephard)

Click on thumbnails to enlarge

Check out the article from Dave Squires, issued in the latest edition of the Haltonian.

Below, latest regarding the gardeners and the Halton Grove at the NMA, Mr. Squires is on the left.

Below from Dave Squires 12/03/2016.
The gardeners at the NMA have just had the first meeting of the season, also photograph showing
how the new Remembrance Centre is coming on.

Below, update from Dave Squires regarding the NMA, click HERE for photographs

A few photos of the NMA last Friday before the Ride to the Wall. The usual calm and peaceful ambience is shattered
by the current building works which is currently underway. On the rear of the car park is the temporary, not sure for
how long, marquee which contains the shop, cafe and toilets. Coming to the end of the gardeners duties next month for this year.

Below 90th Anniversary of the RAF Halton Apprentice Scheme 12th May 2012
(with many thanks to Dave Squires who supplied the material)

DRAFT ARRANGEMENTS FOR THE 90TH ANNIVERSARY CELEBRATIONS AT THE NMA ON 12TH MAY 2012

Our Principal Guest is Viscount Trenchard, grandson of the great man.

Draft Event Timings

Ø 1100 Reception open

Ø 1215. Members and Guests settle in at Amphitheatre.

Ø 1230 VT arrives and changes (Band entertains)

Ø 1245 Flypast BoBMF

Ø 1246-1315 Service in Cheshire Amphitheatre and then move to Grove ( 1 minute)

Ø 1320- Words from VT and unveil new Interactive Information Board

Ø 1325-VT and VPs meet selected team members and other guests

Ø 1330 – Band leads march to Luncheon. VT escorted directly

Ø 1430- Event concludes

Event Activities

Apart from the Flypast and Pipe Band, we might consider involving the local ATC Sqn ( Derby ) and/or RAF Cosford to provide a drill display pre the official start.

The Queen’s Colour will be marched on by RAF Cosford’s Colour Squadron

The Association standard will also be paraded.

All change at the NMA the hedging is being removed to allow the contactors to come in and lay the path with the entry blocks.
Hopefully with a true circle rather than the one that we dug up today. The propeller will be removed by NMA using more than
manpower. Unfortunately the hedging never took in a number of places. It will be work in progress for a while and if any of the
“boys” have any ideas as to how we can replace the wheel and propeller let me know, any ideas will be forwarded to the committee.

Dave Squires has offered to pay the 50.00 next August for the 223 entry paver, it is
proposed that we hold a raffle at the reunion next May to recover the 50.00 back
to Dave and any profits be donated to 'Help for Hero's

As most of you know we are planning to lay a new entrance pathway into the Grove,
this will link to a circular 4’ path around the ‘wheel’ hedging. The circular pathway will
accommodate engraved Entry pavers at a cost of £50.00 each. Work on these
pathways is scheduled to be completed for April 2012. Around this time the HAAA
will be holding a high profile 90^th anniversary of the Halton Apprentice scheme at
Halton Grove.

A stall will be at the triennial in September to promote Halton Grove and take
pre-orders for the Entry pavers.

The competition produced many excellent design ideas. After due consideration by the
Grove Management Committee and the HAAA Council the design submitted by
Gerry Honey, 70^th was declared the winner.

Check out the following marking the occasion of the
Service of Re-Dedication of the Halton Grove at the National Memorial Arboretum Alrewas
including the unveiling of a new plaque and inscription

(with many thanks to Dave Squires who attended and supplied the information & photographs)

The following pic is of Dave Squires at the Arboretum with 3 guys from other entries,
(Richard Cook 97th, Ian Sloss 105th, Pat Argent 94th, Ron Priest 207th) after
being approached by RAFHAAA to assist with tidying the plots.
He will be back up there in January 2009 to continue.

The Arboretum has improved dramatically since the information below was added,
culminating with the dedication service for the new Armed Forces Memorial attended by
HM The Queen on Friday 12th October 2007.

The National Memorial Arboretum is being created on a 150 acre site as a living tribute to the wartime
generations of the twentieth century and as a gift in their memory for future generations to reflect upon and enjoy.

Planting began in 1997 and plots and groves have been created for the armed forces, police and fire
services and many other groups and associations.

Already established is the 'Halton Grove' in a section dedicated to RAF Halton Apprentices, the
following is the inscription on the plaque attached to a large stone as shown below by Dave Shep.

'THIS BEECH GROVE IS DEDICATED TO THE MEMORY OF ALL THOSE BOYS WHO JOINED THE R.A.F. AT HALTON AS AIRCRAFT APPRENTICES FROM 1922 UNTIL 1993, AND WERE KNOWN AS `TRENCHARD'S BRATS'.

THE GROVE TAKES THE FORM OF THE APPRENTICES' RESPECTED WHEEL BADGE, THE CENTRAL
TREES DENOTING THE PROPELLER, WITH THE CIRCLE OF BEECH HEDGING COMPLETING THE WHEEL.
THE APPRENTICE BADGE IS THE ONLY R.A.F. METAL BADGE TO BE SEWN ON TO THE UNIFORM

THE PARTICIPATING ENTRIES TO THE GROVE ARE: 4th, 11th, 17th, 18th, 20th, 23rd, 30th,
32nd, 34th, 35th, 36th, 37th, 38th, 39th, 40th, 41st, 42nd, 44th, 45th, 47th, 48th, 49th, 50th, 51st, 52nd, 53rd,54th, 55th, 56th, 57th, 58th, 60th, (1,2, & 3 WINGS), 61st, 62nd, 63rd, 65th, 67th, 68th, 69th, 70th, 71st,72nd, 73rd, 76th, 77th, 79th, 81st, 82nd, 83rd, 86th, 89th, 90th, 91st, 96th, 97th, 99th, 100th, 102nd, 130th, 132nd, 137th, 138th, 203rd, 209th, and 211th, AS WELL AS THE NAVAL AIR WING (1938-1942), POLISH (1943-1947), AND CEYLONESE (1951-1962), ENTRIES.

"WHEN BEECH LEAVES ARE FALLING, WHERE - ER WE MAY ROAM, OLD MEMORIES COME CALLING; OF HALTON - AND HOME".

Unfortunately we missed out on being a 'contributing' entry and our number is not shown on the plaque,
however there are new trees being planted by individual entries with a black label and white writing
with up to 10 words at a cost of £50.

Dave and myself suggest that we try and add a 223 tree as our contribution, the earliest we could do
this is September as there is a long backlog of organizations waiting to do similar.

So the question is what do you all think ? there is a web site and the address is -

Below is the layout of the site as it is at present the Halton area is No. 40