G And D July 06

Alnwick Detachment, Northumbria ACF

The George and Dragon The truth is the truth whether whispered or shouted.

Northumbria Special points of interest: • Cadet Vocational Qualifications and Duke of Edinburgh’s Award. • Latest from the County, Company and Detachment. • The Intelligence Corps, Fighting the war on terror requires as much brain as brawn. Find out what the slime do. • New W Company online facilities.

Inside this issue:

Disclaimer: This is not an official publication. See disclaimer on back page.

17th July 2006

Volume 1, Issue 7

Alnwick in Action: Dinner Night A joint ATC and ACF dinner night was held at Alnwick TA Centre on 30th June. The evening was the ideal opportunity for members of 1801 Squadron and Alnwick Detachment, who regularly work together already, to unwind and get to know each other a little better. It also gave the cadets an insight into the mystical world of mess etiquette and protocol. Mrs Sue Knowles, one of the 1801 Squadron civilian instructors, had slaved away over the industrial-sized hot stove for much of the day and produced a marvelous meal of prawn cocktail/ melon/paté to start, chicken breast in a creamy mushroom sauce for the main course and strawberry me-

ringue nests/profiteroles and lashings of double cream for dessert. The cadets arrived dressed in black ties and polished shoes - Cdts Kevin McNab and Jack Sturdy looking remarkably like the Blues Brothers.

toast and a toast to our continued friendship and mutual co-operation. A good night that will definitely be repeated.

After the customary confusion over the seating plan we set about demolishing Mrs Knowles’ creation. Three girls from Amble Detachment, Lucy Cowell, Gemma Mooney and Rebecca Conning, did a tremendous job as waitresses and kept the food flowing.

Cadet Vocational Qualifications.

2

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award.

2

News from the Company.

2

Army in Focus: The Intelligence Corps.

3

Forecast of Events.

3

News from the County.

3

Meet the new kids from South Park:

Alnwick in Action: World Cup BBQ.

4

www.wcompany.org.uk

The dinner ended with a short speech from the OC 1801 Squadron, Flt. Lt. Dave Gamlin RAFVR(T). The occasion ended with the loyal

Become a member of W Company’s new online community

Volume 1, Issue 7

Cadet Vocational Qualifications Senior cadets (2 star, aged 16 years or older) can obtain a BTEC First Diploma in Public Services alongside their APC training. The diploma, the vocational equivalent of 4 GCSE grades A-C, is achieved by completing 6 out of 7 units:

short presentation, map reading, expeditions, first aid training and completion of the CVQO resource book. You may have even already completed some of these units through your APC or D of E training. Participation in the scheme is free of charge to cadets.

• Public Services* • Public Services Skills* • Public Service Fitness* • Outdoor Activities • Land Navigation • Expedition Skills

• Nautical Skills * The first three units are compulsory. For an ACF cadet, completion of the units will involve leadership tasks, a small project, a

For more information check out the Army Cadet magazine or the Cadet Vocational Qualification Office website: www.cqvo.co.uk

APC: you can gain a D of E award by very little extra effort on top of your ACF training. The Award can be achieved at three levels: Bronze, Silver and Gold. Each level includes four sections: Service, Skills, Physical Recreation and Expeditions. Additionally, at Gold level, participants complete a residential project. You can start working towards Bronze at the age of 14

The day also provided the ideal opportunity to select and practice the Company drill team for annual camp. Sgt Ralph Brown of Broomhill

Services…. equivalent to 4 GCSE grades A-C.”

“Learn new skills, help other people

Further details from the DC, or check out the website:

Employers and

www.theaward.org

and experience adventure….

universities take a good view .”

Contacts If you have not already done so please give your email address and mobile number to the DC.

Detachment, winner of the coveted drill cane at last years camp, put the team through their paces on the playground of Rothbury First School. The Company is sad to hear the news that PI Maureen Flatman of Broomhill Detachment has decided to call it a day. Maureen has provided a helping hand at Broomhill for the last 3 years and will be missed. We wish her every luck for the future. That’s about is news wise.

Diploma in Public

years, Silver at 15 years and Gold at 16 years. The upper age limit for completion of any level of the award is 25 years. To enroll on the scheme you need to buy a record book (~£8) and fill in a form.

News from Around the Company The Company held in-house Colts Canter training up at Rothbury last month. The day consisted of skill at arms, first aid, command tasks and a gentle route march and map reading under the watchful eye of Lt. Barry Lister of Rothbury Detachment.

obtain a BTEC First

To participate speak to the DC.

Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme The Duke of Edinburgh’s Award Scheme (D of E) is a challenging programme of activities which will help you to learn new skills, help others, experience adventure and gain a great sense of achievement. What’s more, many organisations such as employers and universities take a good view of the Award and the person who has achieved it. The award is complimentary to the

“Senior cadets can

Email and text message updates will be sent to you in future. This newsletter will be emailed every month. Thank you.

Colts Canter day, 29 July 2006.

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Army In Focus: Intelligence Corps The Intelligence Corps (INT CORPS) gathers, collates and analyses information in a way which is useful for commanders on the ground. In today’s world, with an ever increasing threat of terrorism, brain force is becoming as important as brute force in the Army. As with the other Arms and Services of the Army the training the Intelligence Corps provides is second to none. Members of the Corps are able to gain further qualifica-

tions in Counter Sabotage, Foreign Languages, Human Intelligence, Imagery Analysis, Protective Security and IT Security to name just a few. To become an Intelligence Corps soldier you need to score 55 or more in the BARB test. After 12 weeks of phase 1 training you will move to the Defence Intelligence and Security Centre in Chicksands, Bedfordshire for phase 2 training. The phase 2 training is an intensive 27 week course. On suc-

cessful completion of the Chicksands course soldiers are promoted to LCpl and can look forward to accelerated promotion prospects in there future career. For further information about the Corps, visit the website: www.army.mod.uk

Forecast for the Next Few Weeks •

Sat 22nd July: Pre-Camp Briefing

•

29th-30th July: W Coy Colts Canter Training: Rothbury: TEAM ONLY

•

12th-15th August: Annual Camp: Otterburn: ADULTS

•

15th-25th August: Annual Camp: Otterburn: CADETS

•

2nd-3rd September: County Range: Ponteland

•

9th-10th September: Colts Canter Training: CTC Otterburn: TEAM ONLY

•

Sun 10th September: ALnwick Parade Rehearsal: Catterick: SELECTED CADETS

•

Sat 16th September: Alnwick Parade: Alnwick: SELECTED CADETS

If you want more information about any event ask the DC.

News from Around the County Sad news to begin with. As some of you may have heard Captain Dennis Sunley died on 6th July. Dennis was a CAA until his retirement last year. A well known, popular and cheerful member of the County, he will be sorely missed. Our thoughts and prayers are with his family. As The George and Dragon exclusively revealed last month, it has now been confirmed that Lt. Col. David Smith, Deputy Commandant of Durham ACF,

will be the new Commandant of this County from 1st October 2006. The present Commandant, Col. Ann Clouston, is heading to the North of England Reserve Forces and Cadets Association in a PR role. Apart from that nothing of major interest.

Volume 1, Issue 7

Camp Special The August edition of The George and Dragon will be a camp special. Don’t worry - even though we’re at camp it’ll be business as usual with the G&D editorial team and printing presses. Being at camp we’ll have a much wider audience - if you’ve got something to write about get it off your chest.

Website As was eluded to a couple of months back the Detachment has a new website: www.alnwickacf.org.uk The site is an unofficial information source intended for Alnwick and other W Coy cadets. Our content on the main NACF site will be phased out. The new site has the latest news, views, photos and publications. It also has chat and message board facilities. If there is anything you would like to see on the site that isn’t already there put in a request by email. STOP PRESS: Alnwick Detachment: www.alnwickacf.org.uk (note the new improved URL) W Coy Message Board: www.wcompany.org.uk Broomhill Detachment: www.armycadet.co,uk Berwick Detachment: www.freewebs.com/ berwickacf

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Volume 1, Issue 7

Alnwick in Action: World Cup Barbecue Saturday 8th July saw the annual Alnwick Detachment barbecue. Every W Company Detachment was represented on the evening, with a particularly pleasing turnout from Amble and Broomhill. The omens looked good: the barbecues and serving tables were set up in the baking sunshine and then, for the first time in about a fortnight, it began to rain. Just typical: the hottest July since records began and the one day it chooses to rain is our barbecue. Luckily it was just on-off gentle showers all evening and it didn’t really dampen any spirits.

It’s a real tragedy that I’ve got a whole column left and nothing to write in it. Bummer.

This year’s event was meant to have a World Cup theme since it clashed with the 3rd/4th place play-offs. Sadly, despite trying to cover all the bases, the technology let us down (didn’t it Ralph?) so the match wasn’t screened after all. Luckily the cadets made their own entertainment with music and games. A warning order was issued a few days beforehand asking the cadets to bring Super Soakers so they could indulge in a little water fight in the expected hot sunshine. As mentioned before, the sunshine wasn’t to be, but the water fights happened on the back field regardless. Sgts Ralph Brown and Billy Hall, known for being a big kids at heart, were in the heart of the action armed with buckets of water. They quickly ended up on the receiving end of a soaking. Amble DC, Sgt Michael Weightman, and Alnwick DC, Lt. Tom Jackson, assumed the dominant alpha-male roles of barbecue supervisors. After a shaky start in which several chicken legs got well charcoaled the food began to fly off the grill. The burgers and sausages went down a treat but the chicken legs had less of a take up. After a long night of troughing burgers and sausages some of the younger adults decided to go out on an educational tour of some of Alnwick’s drinking establishments. Cokes all round apparently. Enjoy more of our photos online: www.alnwickacf.org.uk

LCpl Stewart, Cdt Philips and LCpl Gibson

The Broomhill adults.

PI Armstrong of Broomhill samples the cuisine. Sgt Weightman adopts the role of alpha male.

So, how many burgers can you squeeze into one mouth?! The Amble and Broomhill crew pose for group

Sgt Weightman shows the strain after a long evening. Anyone wanting copies of these photos please provide the DC with a CD-R and he’ll be happy to oblige.

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July’s Review 1 SUPERMAN RETURNS Cert: 12A, Dir: Bryan Singer

Alnwick Detachment, Northumbria ACF TA Centre Lisburn Terrace ALNWICK NE66 1XQ Monday Evenings: 7-9.30 pm Mob: 07776 475089 E: [email protected]

Inspiring to Achieve

WE’RE ON THE WEB: W WW.NACF.ORG.UK

Disclaimer This document is not an official publication of Northumbria ACF. It is produced for the guidance of Alnwick Detachment cadets only. Any opinions expressed herein are those of the author and not necessarily those of Northumbria ACF or the Army.

Submissions Deadline for August 2006 edition: Sunday, 20th August 2006 Publication of August 2006 edition: Monday, 21st August 2006 The following items can be published: Personal notices and announcements, adult & cadet profiles, reviews of weekend camps, photos. Items do not have to be ACF related. All items will be vetted and may be edited.

Duration: 154 mins Flying back onto the big screen, almost 20 years after Christopher Reeve donned the red and blue spandex for the final time, Superman Returns brings the summer blockbuster season to a spectacular close. Bryan Singer's bravura re-invention of The Man Of Steel puts Mission: Impossi- Is it a bird? Is it a plane? ble III and Pirates Of The Caribbean: Dead Man's Chest in the shade. The special effect-festooned action sequences are exhilarating and brilliantly orchestrated as expected, but it's the intense emotions of Superman Returns, which set the film apart. The story begins five years after the events of Superman II. The Man of Steel (Brandon Routh) returns to Earth, and his adopted mother Martha Kent (Eva Marie Saint), having searched the galaxy for survivors of his home planet Krypton. In his guise as clumsy reporter Clark Kent, Superman secures his old position under bombastic editor Perry White (Frank Langella) at The Daily Planet, where he learns that ace reporter Lois Lane (Kate Bosworth) has won the Pulitzer Prize for her essay, 'Why The World Doesn't Need Superman'. More pressingly, she now has a young son, Jason (Tristan Lake Leabu), and a fiance Richard (James Marsden), who is Perry's nephew. Arch-nemesis Lex Luthor (Kevin Spacey) is soon up to no good, threatening world peace with his latest dastardly scheme, aided by sidekick Kitty Kowalski (Parker Posey) and various henchmen. When Lois is caught up in a mid-air disaster, caused by Lex's dastardly meddling, Superman flies to the rescue, re-igniting long dormant passions. Perry immediately assigns Lois to cover the return of the Man of Steel. 'Three things sell newspapers: tragedy, sex and Superman,' argues Perry. 'People are sick of tragedy, we know you can't write a damn about sex...' So Lois reacquaints herself with Superman, which leaves Richard feeling deeply insecure. Superman Returns holds us spellbound for more than two and a half hours, and when the end credits roll, we hanker for more.

July’s Review 2 DISTRICT 13 Cert: 15, Dir: Pierre Morel Duration: 84 mins David Belle, one of the creators of the spectacular, gravity-defying extreme sport of Le Parkour (aka Free Running), showcases his supreme physical prowess in the futuristic action romp District 13. Created in the suburbs of Paris, Le Parkour combines elements of gymnastics and martial arts, allowing practitioners to navigate urban jungles by leaping across rooftops and scaling walls, treating cityscapes like some giant obstacle course. The film opens with its biggest and arguably best action set piece, following Belle's anti-hero at breakneck speed as he attempts to outrun his pursuers by ricocheting through dingy corridors and along rooftops, defying the laws of physics without breaking sweat. Breathless camerawork and slick editing leave us teetering precariously on the edge of our seats. Nothing else in District 13 comes close to this tour-de-force exhibition of acrobatics. In particular, the explosive finale is a massive anti-climax. In the not too distant future, society has fractured beyond repair. The wealthy and the powerful are kept safely apart from more undesirable elements of society by various Districts: walled communities, patrolled by the police, in which crime and corruption are allowed to run rampant. When criminal Leito (Belle) crosses kingpin Taha (Bibi Naceri), he almost pays with his life instead, Taha kidnaps Leito's young sister Lola (Dany Verissimo) and lands the brother with a lengthy spell in jail. A chance for revenge eventually presents itself: Taha has taken possession of a stolen nuclear weapon, which the police are keen to re-appropriate. However, the authorities do not have the intimate knowledge of District 13, necessary for a successful infiltration. So undercover cop Damien (Cyril Raffaelli) joins forces with Leito to break into District 13 and penetrate Taha's defences, rescue the girl and halt the weapon's launch sequence before half of Europe is reduced to rubble. Film reviews supplied by easycinema.com: the no-frills cinema with all the best movies.