26 May 09 - Ripon Cadets Celebrate 25 Years
Ripon Cadets Celebrate 25 Years.
886 (City of Ripon) Air Cadets Squadron commenced their 25th Anniversary Weekend celebrations with their annual Award’s Night, this year held at the Allhallowgate Methodist Church Hall. The cadets were joined by the Squadron Staff, Civilian Committee, parents and invited guests.
Guests included the Mayor of Ripon, Councillor Parnaby and Squadron Leader Grant Page, Officer Commanding of 76R Squadron at Royal Air Force Linton on Ouse.
The opening address came from the Squadron’s own C.O. Flt Lt Crebbin described the full and varied year of the cadets along with the resulting collective and individual achievements.
The two newest Cadets, Adam Skidmore and Jessica Tenant were enrolled and talks were given by participating cadets on the National Concert Band Camp, Gliding Scholarship and the Royal British Legion Spitfire Project. Best Cadet was Cadet C Simpson and the Best NCO was Cpl F Mingay.
Hot on the heels of the very successful awards night the Cadets of 886 Squadron gathered together again the very next evening having chosen a formal Dining-In night to formally mark their first 25 years as an independent ATC Squadron.
This time the venue was the Earl De Grey Room at the Unicorn Hotel, a fine building with it’s own Ripon history. The cadets were joined by the Squadron Staff and guest speaker Sqn Ldr Simon Johnston (O.C. 642 Volunteer Gliding Suadqron, RAF Linton on Ouse) who had already been introduced to the cadets at the previous night’s Awards Evening.
Pre-dinner drinks were held in an adjacent reception room during which the extremely smart turn-out of everyone present was being admired. The formal proceedings then opened with a loyal toast proposed, as tradition has it, by the last enrolled cadet Jessica Tenant. All present then went on to enjoy a sumptuous feast rounded off with what proved to be highly popular Sticky Toffee pudding.
Speeches followed with Civilian Instructor Bacon firstly thanking the Unicorn Staff followed by credit to Sergeant McCarthy who carried out all of the ground work organisation for the evening before allowing him to step in at the end in true glory hunting style. “The Boss” Flt Lt Crebbin then went on to speak of the benefits and enjoyment that Ripon cadets had gained throughout the Squadron’s history whilst contributing to their community at the same time.
Sqn Ldr Johnston then concluded the evening with an inspirational talk describing how a lack of academic success need not be a barrier to eventually reaching the heights in aviation, as he revealed that from cleaning aircraft at his local airfield he went on to a career that has included flying all manner of aircraft throughout the world and even displaying with the Red Arrows. It left all of the young cadets enthusing over the possibilities that the Squadron had opened up to them as it has done for many others over the last 25 years.
