Invitation from the Malaya Veterans
The KOSB Malaya Veterans (1955-1958) Invite All Members, Friends and Family of the KOSB Association to their Annual Reunion. To be held at The Peebles Hydro Hotel ,Thursday 14th September, 2017
14th April 2017
Dear Friends and Veterans,
The time has come round again to remind you of the Annual Reunion and we enclose your invitation and booking form. We did invite HRH The Princess Royal to come along and join us this year but due to overseas duties at the time of our Dinner she is unable to accept our invitation.
You will be happy to find that the price has stayed the same at £35 per person and we will subsidise this event whilst we still have funds in the bank. The Dinner will be run on its usual format and like last year, the whole event will take place in the Ballroom, which will be open from 5.45 pm onwards. For earlier drinks, the hotel bars will be open. The Pipers will be playing as usual to create a welcoming atmosphere and everyone will be expected to take their places at their respective tables by 6pm. A table plan will be placed at the entrance to the Ballroom, and following on last year there will be two bottles of white wine and two bottles of red wine on each table included in the ticket price.
Brigadier Allan Alstead will make his welcoming remarks to the company and will then introduce the main speaker Lt Col Andy MIddlemiss, who will give his speech on the KOSB in the Great War, before Dinner. This will be followed by The Act of Remembrance to the Fallen, and the pipers will play The Flowers of the Forest, and Grace will then be said and the meal commence. Following the dinner there will be a short comfort break, followed by the Entertainment which will start with some very short speeches, various toasts with the Pipers playing the Regimental March, and then onto music which we are happy to say will be provided by our favourite accordionist Raymond Carse and our very own singer Drew Scott. We will include in your programme this year the words of several songs which we hope you will join in and sing along with Drew and Raymond Carse with his accordion. There will also be the usual prize draw for which you will be invited to place your donations in the envelopes provided on each table and put your name and table number on the front of these envelopes and they will be used to pull out the lucky names. The money raised from this goes towards the administration costs of the dinner. Following the dinner and entertainment the Bar will re-open, and for the rest of the evening everyone will have plenty of time to socialise. With regard to the booking of tables, we will continue with the previous set-up of allocated seating at numbered tables. Please make sure that you indicate on the Booking Form who it is that you wish to be seated with, and we will try our best to seat everyone as requested. Please note that there is a vegetarian choice on the menu, therefore, do not forget to indicate who would prefer to have that option rather than the main dish of chicken.
If you wish to stay at the Peebles Hydro, the following is the contact telephone number for reservations through the central reservations set up at Crieff Hydro, which is the parent company of the Peebles Hydro. Please telephone 01764 655555 and ask for reservations in the name of KOSB Malaya Veterans’ Reunion, and you will be given the agreed rate of £56 per person per night for a double room or a single room. You will be required to give a deposit of £25 per person when you make a reservation. Should you wish to stay outwith the Peebles Hydro Hotel, we could provide you with a list of alternative accommodation in or around Peebles. Hair appointments should not be made through Reception but directly with the Headcases Hair Studio, situated in the Hotel, on 01721 725959.
As this will be the only letter to be sent out, we will look forward to receiving your requests for dinner as early as possible, but certainly before Monday 14th August – the cut-off time for applications – to allow us time to make table plan etc. Please also note that bedroom reservations should be made before 1st August as that is the deadline when Peebles Hydro will release our nominated bedrooms for public sale. You could still apply after that date, and the cheaper rate would still apply, but one would run the risk of no bedrooms being available – there are other functions on in the hotel at the same time so book early!! We do not intend to send out tickets this year on receipt of your cheque, as that will save on printing costs and postage, but we would ask that if you have an e-mail address, please make sure that this is on your application form and we will acknowledge your application and payment in that way. If you have no e-mail address then you will have to check your Bank Statement for confirmation that your cheque has been put through and your places will have been reserved.
There is no doubt that everyone is always smartly turned out on the night, but just as a reminder if you desire to do so, is to wear your usual name badges, miniature medals, tartan trews in Leslie tartan (if you possess them) and regimental ties, and come along to enjoy this very special evening of friendship and camaraderie – there is no good Dinner without good friends – “the more the merrier”, so invite as many others who would be interested to come along and join us. We look forward to meeting up with you all again at Peebles Hydro on Thursday 14th September 2017 and we look forward to receiving your booking form as soon as possible.
Any other information required contact John Crawford, Dunkeld, Fordel Gardens, Melrose – Telephone 01896/822363 e-mail – johnesthercrawford@yahoo.com or Marsh Graham e-mail- marshgraham666@googlemail.com