The HMS Conway Image Archive
Branch, Friends, Club & CWP Events
2007 Vancouver International Reunion - Blog & Images
Photos coming soon
Wednesday
30th May 2007 -
Welcome
(Orientation photos click here)
The actual reunion starts tomorrow but we (Jan & Alfie Windsor (64-68)) decided to fly in early.
We’ve never been to Vancouver before but everyone seems to agree it is
the nicest city in North America. The position is spectacular. It’s set
on a number of small hills right on the coast water. As you crest each
rise another vista of the Strait of Georgia and the Burrard Inlet
appears running fingers of water into the heart of the city. Dominating
the heavily wooded northern horizon, the Coast Mountains seem to thrust
straight out of the sea. Patches of snow glisten here and there on the
peaks. It’s quite a “low rise” city but with that typical
North American arrangement downtown of a small cluster of
skyscrapers but nothing more than 30 stories or so strolling up the
rolling hills. The reunion hotel - the Coast Plaza is right downtown.
We’re on the 27th floor with great views in every direction. Out in the
bay half a dozen tankers and ships are anchored and the odd cruise ship
and ferry slips out en-route for the Inside Passage and Alaska. I
wonder if there any OCs out there. Sadly probably not, unless one of
the new breed of Conway cadets happens to be passing.
The weather is stunning, blue skies and hot (unseasonable apparently).
Wandering around the hotel and local streets we keep seeing men of a
certain vintage and bearing - could be OCs! Met Terry Powell in the
lobby. He, with Ian Hopkinson, is the organiser of the event. and he
said that quite a few people are already here; they expect around 150
people to sit down to dinner! Tremendous response to the reunion so
before we go any further here’s a big thank-you to them for all their
hard work. We’ve three days to look forward to.
Thursday 31st May 2007 (Photos click here)
Another scorching day in Vancouver as the hotel filled up with familiar
faces. We all wandered down to the reception area to sign in and
receive our welcome pack and goody bags, plus a free bottle of wine
from the tour organiser. We had a free day to tour the city but the
reunion kicked off at 6pm with an informal cocktail party in the the
Windows On The Bay rooms on the hotel’s 35th floor. Panoramic views of
the city from every window. The bash went on until 10pm and was heaving
all night. People from all over the US, Australia, New Zealand
and the UK. Also a very good spread of years - probably a preponderance
of 50s cadets including many names familiar to the chat group. The list
of attendees is the first image below. My apologies for not naming
everyone in every photo but I was there to enjoy myself not spend the
whole event writing names and eroding my serious boozing time!! If you
know missing names let me know and I will add them. The President
Archie Smith and his wife Mim were in attendance - for once she was
able to relax and enjoy the show. After 4 hours of none stop chat we
were all fired up and ready for more.
Friday 1st June 2007 - Boat Trip (Photos click here)
“1800 hours we all embussed” Ok that’s the formal bit. We had a
wonderful evening cruising up the Indian Arm. John Palliser (65-67ish)
arranged a “fly” past by the local rescue service’s giant hovercraft
and we were off with the Conway ensign at the main. Great food, non
stop drinks, everything got louder and louder and louder. A million
photos were taken. Conway songs and hullabaloos echoed around the water
to a glorious sunset. Suddenly it was goodness knows what time and we
were all shepherded back to the hotel where a stalwart few kept the bar
profitable for a good few more hours.
Saturday 2nd June 2007 (Photos click here)
Yet more
blazing blue skies and hot sunshine. The day was spent visiting local
sites like the Vancouver Maritime Museum, Stanley park with its totem
poles, and the Sun Yat Sen garden in town. Others went sailing in
Tony Sessions’s 60 foot yacht. Saturday evening was the dinner dance.
David Pye (62-64) provided a small display of Conway photos from 61-64
including a couple, of some very enthusiastic cadets ripping down
one of the huts. Lt Col Davis Hilton (56-58) was there with the Club
shop which proved very popular. The display of free photos from the
last few days disappeared very quickly. If you missed any photos; good
news.
Saturday 2nd June 2007 - Dinner Dance (Photos click here)
We had
pre-dinner drinks in the garden and everyone seemed very content to
relax and chat in the sun but the Event Chairman Terry Powell (50-51)
got us seated and settled for dinner. The President of the Vancouver
Branch, Captain Donald Tranter (52-53) welcomed everyone from around
the world. The Club President, Captain Archie Smith (64-66) said a few
words and seemed to have fallen for Vancouver. Our senior hand for the
weekend was Jim Butterfield (36-39) and the senior hand at dinner was
Frank Wade (36-39). The Rev Simon Lane said grace and around 145 people
sat down to a five course meal and a seemingly bottomless wine vat. We
were entertained to a very amusing speech by David Kingsmill Abbott, a
broadcast columnist, writer, international correspondent, media
executive and public speaker. He was a Conway cadet in 1954 but had to
be withdrawn after one term because of his father’s death. His lilting
Irish Brogue kept us all enthralled and the Vancouver Branch announced
they had made him an honorary member of their branch. To our amazement
a 17 piece band with vocalist took the stage so the Conway Song was
sung with full orchestral backing followed by a rousing Hullabloo.
Suddenly we were all dancing the night away. The band played louder so
we all talked louder, the band played louder so.... There was a lot of
chat, a great deal of laughter. The hours ticked by, the crowd
gradually thinned out and soon even the junior hand Matt Burrow (72-74)
wended his weary way to his hammock. A suitable finale to a wonderful
weekend.
Sunday morning was another scorcher as we started saying our farewells.
Simon Bruce (64-7) and Karen flew off to San Francisco. Chris Stone
(71-3) and his wife donned their leathers and set off by motorbike for
Japser National Park and the mountains, John Palliser (65-8) recalled
his hovercraft and drifted off to Victoria, Rushy (54-56) headed off
for the direct flight to Lyme Regis International Airport, Ian
Hopkinson (54-6) and Terry Powell (50-1) were last seen with their feet
up smoking a relaxing cigar. Quite a few joined Sunday’s Alaskan
cruise. About 34 of us still here in the hotel waiting for our cruise
on Wednesday. If you are interested in an Alaskan Cruse you can follow
our progress at cruise
To all our hosts in Vancouver thanks a million. It was a perfect event
in the most glorious surroundings. The UK dinner dances are always
enjoyable but this was a class act. To all our old and new chums we’ll
see you again soon. Glasgow looms but Liverpool 2009 is an absolute
must for us all.
Week's Alaskan Cruise (Photos click here)
On Sunday 3rd June 2--7 about 40 of us embarked on Holland America
Line's Zandamm for a one week round trip cruise via thre Inland Passage
to Alaska
