OUR SOCIETY OF WOMEN WRITERS AND JOURNALISTS MOURN THE LOSS OF NOREEN RIOLS

 

We are so very proud of our friend and overseas member, Noreen Riols who died on 2 January in her Paris home.  Noreen was one of the last-surviving veterans of the World War Two Special Operations Executive (SOE) has been remembered following her death at the age of 98.

Noreen was posted to the SOE's school at Beaulieu in the New Forest, where agents were trained to carry out espionage missions behind enemy lines.

One of her roles was to act as a so-called honey trap in Bournemouth hotels to see whether the trainee spies would spill their secrets.

In 1944, at the age of eighteen, Ms Riols applied to join the Women's Royal Naval Service, which she said appealed to her "because the hat looked most seductive". However, she was sent to the SOE's secret headquarters in Baker Street, London, because of her proficiency in French.

Noreen worked "passing on messages", before being posted to the Beaulieu Estate where the SOE conducted final training. Future agents were schooled in one of 11 buildings, each for a different country, and taught to carry out sabotage, assassinations and other missions. She also worked with Colonel Maurice Buckmaster. 

WISHING OUR VERY GOOD FRIEND MIKE EDMONDS A VERY HAPPY BIRTHDAY

 Friends and family around the world joining in to wish Mike a lovely birthday.  

A happy Mike in Southend at the start of his own filmed life story

NEW YEAR THOUGHTS AND IDEAS FOR WRITERS

Happy New Year to all my regular viewers and warmest wishes to readers of my features in Essex press. It's lovely to have contact with you. This is my nineteenth blogging year and very soon my two-thousandth feature will be appearing on this particular weblog. More than three/four thousand articles/essays  have been published in print magazines and newspapers. 

New Year is traditionally the time for resolutions and for many older people to think about the topic of writing one's life story. Of course, many people in the world of entertainment have been using 'ghost writers' - using professionals to carry out the task, but there is nothing so good as reading true personal thoughts about notable personalities and not-so-famous people's life and times, particularly if you have had a connection with the writer or the area in which they lived.

I know I have already mentioned some of the folk whom you have already met within my weblog posts over such a long time. Recently, one such is the super Olympic champion athlete Fatima Whitbread, whose memoir My Bright Shining Star is currently a best-seller. Signed copies can be found in numerous Essex-based Waterstones and WH Smith. 

Fatima is included within my current project of meeting some of the world's most illustrious folk. More will be included as 2025  proceeds.  Here we are in the late 1990s.   

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VERY HAPPY TO PUBLICISE THIS LOVELY BOOK WHICH SUMS UP THE WARMEST WISHES OF THIS SPECIAL FESTIVE TIME

 

DIFFERENT CHRISTMAS CAKE THIS YEAR - CHOCOLATE TIME!

 

BILLERICAY ENJOYS MANY FASCINATNG HISTORICAL CONNECTIONS - OUR MAYFLOWER MORRISMEN TEAM IS ONE OF OUR GEMS

MORRIS DANCING IN BILLERICAY FOR MORE THAN  450 YEARS

 The first record of Morris dancing in Billericay was 450 years ago. It took place at an unnamed inn on the evening of 5th February 1575 and went on past midnight. We even know the name of one of the dancers: Geoffrey Cole. We reckon that makes us Billericay's oldest club or society. On 9th January 2025 Mayflower Morris Men will mark that occasion by dancing outside The Chequers. Feel free to come along and join in! The venue is apt because it was at that pub 53 years ago that four men met and planned to revive Morris in the town, and one of them, another Geoffrey (Douglas), is still dancing with the side. Two new dancers recently joined the side but it also lost a male musician. So if there are accordionists, violinists, or pipe & taborers who'd like to learn to play the Morris, the current musicians will gladly teach them the tunes! Get in touch!

Mayflower Morris Men (01277 654228)  Julian Whybra

 

LATEST NEWS FROM OUR 2024 FUN WALK - VERY PROUD OF ALL OUR WALKING TEAMS AND OUR WONDERFUL SPONSORS

 

2024 Fun Walk Raises over £100,000 for Essex Good Causes

Posted on 05/12/2024 by admin

05
Dec

At a Celebration Evening last week attended by many local charities and community groups, John Baron, Chair of the Fun Walk Trustees, announced that the 2024 Fun Walk had raised nearly £101,000 with an estimated 2,000 supporters taking part in sponsored walks across Essex.

John welcomed Professor Michael Almond, Deputy Lieutenant of Essex, representing His Majesty the King, Commanding Officer Simon Tayor and the 2393 (Billericay) Air Training Cadets, as well as Jim Shrubb the Billericay Town Cryer, and thanked them for their support of the Celebration evening.

John Baron said:
“I confirmed last year that I wished to continue my involvement with The Fun Walk Trust charity that we established in 2002, and which has since raised over £1,635,000 for local charities and good causes.”

“To be part of the Fun Walk over 22 years is a great honour. It represents the best of our communities in working together and marries a very strong charitable and entrepreneurial ethos by encouraging businesses to donate into the bonus pot which in turn encourages charities to do even more.”

John thanked the organisations present for all the work they do in the local community during the year, and said “Tonight we can celebrate that as well”.

In terms of Fundraising, John was happy to announce that this year’s event raised over £100,000 including the bonus, which this year was set at 30%. This total is better than recent years’ efforts and the bonus amount along with Gift Aid allows charities to add more than 50% to the money raised directly from their sponsored walks.

John said

“I would like to take this opportunity to thank our generous Bonus Pot sponsors including Brown & Carroll (London), Sanctuary Housing, Greater Anglia, Tunnelcraft, Butyl Products Group, IFE Global Logistics, Mr Barrie Stone and a number of other individuals.”

There was also a special mention of Ram Goyal of Hallmark Care Homes, who was present at the event, given he has been a major supporter of the Fun Walk over the past decade.

John thanked the ‘Home team’ for making things run smoothly including the Fun Walk Trustees, Sandra, Christine, and Sylvia as well as Simon Licence from Hunt Smee Accountants, and the BBW CVS team led by Chief Officer Simon Johnson, who help provide the administration for the Fun Walk Trust.

He concluded by saying “If you know of any other good causes or charities, please ask them to get in touch with us for next year’s event.”