58 THE YPRES TIMES A RETROSPECT OF THE JANUARY INFORMAL GATHERING. It is the evening of the third Thursday of the month and, leaving the turmoil of the traffic of the Strand, I enter one of the backwaters of that busy thoroughfare only a few yards away. In that quiet street I pass through the doors of the well-known Bedford Head Hotel and, ascending the staircase to the room on the first floor, the buzz of conversation from the little groups seated at the tables greets my ears as I open the door. With a handshake from a member of the Com mittee I am welcomed to the Informal Gathering of the Ypres League and, passing down the room with a nod to a far-away group, and a greeting to others nearby, I find my way to one of the tables and am made welcome by that spirit of comradeship which typifies the whole atmosphere of the gathering and which is the custom for every member to extend to his fellow members. We have now left behind the routine of our daily life, we have set aside our widely divergent stations in life and, actuated by that common bond of interest in the Ypres Salient, we find ourselves taken back fifteen years to the days when good fellowship was the order of the day. Why are we gathered together Ex-naval men, infantrymen, artillerymen, engineers, men from all branches of the services, and relatives of comrades who have passed away, all engaged in good-hearted banter, recalling the episodes of a period in our lives, catastrophic in itself, but which saved us from a still greater catastrophe. Warlike feelings or animosity do not enter into our talk we meet only to foster a spirit of remembrance, to encourage that feeling of goodwill towards one another which was born of the war, and to keep green the memory of all that the Salient meant to this country. The more we can gather together, the happier are our gatherings, and those present feel the absence of many of all ranks, who, being free to do so, have failed to respond to the call which the League sends out to its members. At the January Informal Gathering the chief feature of the evening was provided by Mr. R. S. Beck, and we listened with unabated attention to his talk on the battlefields of Arras and the Somme, whilst he exhibited to us a remarkable collection of lantern slides to illustrate his remarks. These were of particular interest as, having been engaged on active service himself with the Royal Naval Division in these war- scarred sectors, he related several personal incidents of his experiences in connection with the pictures. His photographs comparing the buildings of Arras as they were at the close of the war and as they are being rebuilt to-day, brought home to us very realistically how the aspect of France is changing in that region changes which, the speaker added, would in some cases prove very beneficial. A note of sadness was touched when some photographs of cemeteries and beautiful war memorials in the Somme area were thrown on the screen and perhaps, rather appropriately the ringing from the church on the opposite side of the road, was faintly heard through the quiet of the room. We are deeply indebted to Mr. Beck for affording us such an interesting evening, and the vote of thanks proposed by Captain C. Alliston was endorsed by loud and continued applause. Mr. Beck having replied in a few words, we settled down to a revival of the old war choruses which are a feature of these gatherings. At first, there seemed to be a little difficulty in getting the members to find their voices so soon after the lecture, but thanks to the persistence of Mr. Weller at the piano, and of the choir which gathered around him, it was not long before the singing was in full swing, and so popular was this part of the evening, that the sing-song lasted to a late hour, when the meeting broke up with Auld Lang Syne and the National Anthem. X.Y.Z. OUR CHILDREN'S PARTY. The large hall of the Westminster City School was the centre of unusual activity on Saturday afternoon, January 9th, when the London County Committee staged their annual Children's Day Out, and over 160 little guests were enter tained. The hall had been gaily and tastefully decorated on the previous night by a willing band of workers who were again on the scene at the conclusion of the entertainment, all eager for more jobs. While the tree was being loaded, the lady- helpers were busy preparing the huge piles of rations which were shortly to be consumed. The children were now beginning to arrive, and at 4.15 pip emma they went over the top and the attack began. During the tea an excellent programme of music was discoursed by an orchestra composed of members of the Enfield College of Music. These splendid musicians were brought by Mrs. Peabody, and their selections were greatly appreciated. Immediately following the tea, Mr. Douglas Craggs commenced his conjuring and ventrilo quist entertainment and gave a most enjoyable and interesting hour and a quarter to an audience completely mystified and delighted. Then came Musical Chairs on a grand scale followed by Musical Flopp," and anyone witnessing this game as played by our guests would have strenuously denied any assertion that England has become a C3 or soft nation. At last the toy distribution took place, and each little guest, having been given a numbered ticket, lined up facing the stage. Father Christmas, admirably portrayed by Captain Peabody, aided and abetted by Mr. G. F. W. Cope as Harlequin, in a short speech reminded the children of the motto, Be Prepared and then gave them anothernamely, Carry On," to remember during the coming year.

HISTORISCHE KRANTEN

The Ypres Times (1921-1936) | 1932 | | pagina 28