Effingham Eye: Dam Busters Raid Talk, Church Fete, Two AGMs and New Publicans

Published on: 6 Jun, 2018
Updated on: 7 Jun, 2018

Chris Dick in his regular column reports on church fete resurrected, Battle of Britain Memorial Flight honours Second World War bouncing bomb inventor, Effingham gets a new parish council chairman and the Plough pub changes hands

Talk on Second World War Dam Buster Raids

One of Effingham’s most famous former residents, Sir Barnes Neville Wallis, was honoured in a talk by Dr Robert Owen who is the official historian for 617 Squadron, better known as the Second World War Dam Busters.

A packed St Lawrence Church Effingham plays host to a talk by Dr Robert Owen.

About 300 visitors from Effingham and neighbouring communities attended a free talk by Dr Robert Owen the Official 617 Squadron Historian, on Friday June 1, in St Lawrence Church Effingham. The subject of the talk was the Second World War Dam Busters Raid.

Several veterans were among those who had to make their way into the church, some walked unaided and others were helped by friends and family.

Young air cadets and their officers from Dorking and Woking sat at the front, many crosslegged on the floor.

A repeater screen in the side chapel ensured all those who had managed to get inside the body of the church could see the presentation. The church was packed and when the Rev Mandy MacVean welcomed everyone and introduced Dr Owen, she humorously commented on much she would relish as many people at her Sunday services.

Dr Owen captured the audience’s mood and the atmosphere was electric as he described in perfect detail the dam raids and the bombs used. So many aircrew died in those raids.

At one point the audience gasped as in the audience was Elizabeth Gaunt (aged 92), daughter of Sir Barnes Wallis, together with the actual marbles her father had used in his early bouncing bomb experiments that later in the actual raids led to two of the dams being destroyed.

Gently shaking the bag of marbles, Dr Owen told the audience that a collection of marbles, that were purported to have been used by Barnes Wallis, fetched about £20,000 at auction. Dr Owen commented that Elizabeth’s collection came with impeccable provenance. And there was the inevitable comment that Elizabeth, albeit well advanced in years, still had her marbles. The estimated value of her marbles was not mentioned.

After the talk, free drinks and nibbles were provided by the Rev Mandy MacVean and her team and many stayed on to talk about what they had heard and seen.

There was an opportunity to make donations which raised £1,300. No doubt all those who attended will look forward to Dr Owen returning next June for another talk. This time there will probably be a Second World War naval connection.

Book about the Dam Busters Raid.

It should be noted that, while the money raised was impressive, there is still a silent auction going on until July 1. The prize is a book about the Dam Busters and stamped on the cover “Failed to Return”.

The book co-authored by Robert Owen, Steve Darlow, Shaun Feast and Arthur Thorning, is signed by the sole surviving member of that raid Jonny Johnson.

Bids can be made via the Rev Mandy MacVean’s email address (see below); giving your name, postal address and phone number plus your bid. Only the highest bidder will be contacted on Sunday, July 1. The result will published in this column next month.

rev.mandymacvean@gmail.com

Church fete

The following day was marked by a church fete organised by two highly skilled professional and clearly expert organisers … [Ok, my editor has just fallen off his seat… Sorry! Sarah Montgomery basically organised the fete and I supplied some of the gin and tonic that made it such fun.]

The fete in full swing.

In reality so many people got behind the event that it was, thanks to them, the Royal Air Force and good weather, a great occasion.

Thanks must go to Bevans the local butcher, the Haigh pub and to all those from the rugby club and everyone else that did so much to make it all come together.

A special thank you to the Effingham Residents’ Association for running the free bar, that received a surprising number of donations, as well as Angela and David Putlands for providing first aid coverage, mobile PA commentary and for not groaning every time they were asked to help put up or take down gazebos or someone grabbed the microphone off them. [No guesses as to who that might have been!]

Elizabeth Gaunt pictured by the grave of her father Sir Barnes Wallis, in St Lawrence church burial grounds in Effingham.

Sir Barnes Wallis’s daughter, Elizabeth Gaunt, returned to perform the opening ceremony; local roads had been closed and the Royal Air Force Battle of Britain Memorial Flight provided a low-level Dakota flypast. As one resident humorously quipped: “It was sufficiently low to help cut my grass.” However, to avoid any real complaints the actual flypast took place at 250 feet.

Overall the weekend raised well in excess of £4,000 with monies still coming in.

Photos of the Dakota Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, taken by John Stather.

Two annual general meetings 

Housing Association annual meeting.

The Housing Association annual meeting, chaired by Nick Jubert, took place in the Roman Catholic Hall on May 8 and was attended by many of the association’s residents and others including Mike Withers a former association chairman and secretary who had known Sir Barnes Wallis as the chairman and later as the president of the association. It was a formal and yet friendly meeting where the residents were encouraged to join in.

The association reported that it is looking for a new property near the centre of the village to add to its portfolio. It informed the residents that this year residents would not be asked to cover the cost of its latest electricity bill as the association had sufficient funds to meet those costs.

There was talk about installing lifts versus the benefits of using the stairs. The outcome of that discussion is probably ongoing. The association was currently in the process of surveying all its premises for insurance purposes.

Much of the meting was about condensation buildup and urging residents to use the free tumble drier. However, some had experienced problems getting that to work with so few items in the drum.

The short meeting ended with socialising and some excellent Surrey Gold wine from Denbies Vineyard in Dorking – that had been left over from a previous event.

Outgoing chairman Arnold Pindar (left) with new chairman Ian Symes.

Effingham Parish Council (EPC) held its annual meeting at the King George V Hall, Effingham on Tuesday May 28. The event was marked by Cllr Arnold Pindar standing down as chairman after eight years. He told a small audience that his EU work commitments were expected to take up more of his time as Brexit approached.

The councillors unanimously voted for Cllr Ian Symes, former vice-chairman, to take on the chairman’s role and Cllr Paula Moss (absent) to replace him as the vice-chairman.

New couple take over pub in Orestan Lane

George and Ewa Gillett outside the Plough public house in Effingham.

The Plough public house in Orestan Lane has changed hands and is now run by George and Ewa Gillett.

The young couple, pictured above come with a wealth of experience having previously run pubs in both Balham, “an up-and-coming area” as George explained, and Exmouth. And for dog lovers our canine friends are welcome in the bar area.

The editorial team at The Guildford Dragon NEWS wish them and their staff, pictured below, all the best in this popular gastropub.

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