The Watch Ashore

The National Committee

Chair: Sue Vickery

Vice Chair: Margaret Gray

Secretary: Jean Jones

Treasurer: Sandra Walker

Executive member: Ina Bruce

Future Events

The next Triennial will take place Thursday 7th - 9th May 2009 at the Quality Royal Hotel, Hull, (the old Station Hotel).   The cost for the 3 night package is £155 and £50 for extra nights B and B. The hotel is the old station hotel.   Telephone no 0148 2325087.

15 October 2008 Annual National Seafarers Service, St Paul's Cathedral, London

Special Notice

Sadly Mrs Beth Proudlock passed away on Thursday 17th July 2008, her funeral took place on Friday 25th at Mutley Baptist Church, Plymouth, Devon.

Welcome to the Watch Ashore

The organisation was formed in 1933 for the specific purpose of allowing its members, wives/partners, mothers, sisters, girlfriends of Merchant Navy Officers, to get to know each other and to provide support and friendship, while working to the same end of lobbying the public for reforms to the Merchant Navy.

In 1933 the Watch Ashore lobbied for reforms and today, in 2007 the reforms we are lobbying for are remarkably similar - better conditions for the Merchant Navy, better safety, better training.

Full membership is open to the wives, widows, mothers, sisters and daughters of all Merchant Navy Officers. Country membership is open to all in the United Kingdom even if they are not near a branch.

16 Branches have been formed since 1933 but sadly with the demise of the British Merchant Navy we only have 8 branches left; Plymouth, Cardiff, Southampton, Glasgow, Sunderland, London, Edinburgh and Hull.

Branches meet monthly in their areas and there are annual AGM's and also Triennial meetings, which are chaired by the National Chairman.

The Executive Commitee

Organisation of the branches of The Watch Ashore is spear headed by the National Executive Committee, which is made up of Chairman, Vice Chairman, Hon. Treasurer, Hon General Secretary an Executive member. We endeavour to ensure that as many of the local branches as possible are represented on the Executive Committee, our present Executive has two members from Plymouth, two from Glasgow and one from Cardiff.

Our present Chairman is Sue Vickery from Plymouth, who was preceded by Pat Warren(Cardiff); Liz Swan (Derby); Doreen Morris (Sunderland); Fiona Cooke (Glasgow) June Barnes (London)

Find Your Local Branch

Campaigns

Our latest National Campaign is to raise money for the The Jubilee Sailing Trust.

Newsletters and Reports

Branch Report from Liverpool AGM 2007

With Thanks

This site has been built with the kind support of MNWB

Legacy

The Watch Ashore was fortunate to be the beneficiary of a legacy some (25) years ago a portion of which is distributed annually, by the Executive Committee, to the Branches for them to use to benefit Merchant Navy charities, members of the Merchant Navy and their dependants. Branches have used this legacy as “Talent Money” to launch various events to “make the money grow”

On her retirement from office the National Chairman nominates a charity, which branches will support for the following three years, many branches choose to make their legacy money grow for the Chairman’s Charity

Annual and Triennial Meetings

The Executive Committee organises our Annual Meetings which are held in a different part of the country each year. Every Third year, in conjunction with a local Branch, the Executive Committee arranges our Triennial Meetings.

Over the past ten years we have met in Glasgow 2006, Cardiff 2003, Plymouth 2000 and Hull 1997. It is at these Triennial meetings that our National Chairman comes into office (i.e. the Chairman steps down and is succeeded by the Vice Chairman.) Entertainment at Triennial meetings is very diverse and is usually hosted by the local Branch who provide entertainment with a local flavour.

Also as part of the Triennials we have been fortunate to enjoy Civic Receptions given by The Lord Provost in Glasgow and the Lord Mayors of Hull and Plymouth at recent meetings. Our next Triennial will be held in Hull in 2009 and preparations for this weekend are already in hand.

In the “non- triennial” years we hold an annual meeting in various towns and cities throughout England, Scotland and Wales. In recent years we have enjoyed weekends in Bournemouth, Gloucester, Edinburgh, Manchester, Liverpool, Leicester, Worcester and Sunderland.

On these occasions the National Executive organise an informal first night when we enjoy our own entertainment. In Liverpool we indulged in a musical evening with a special tribute to the Beetles from our Glasgow ladies. Our trip to Gloucester coincided with St George’s Day and Shakespeare’s Birthday so each Branch presented a Watch Ashore version of the works of The Bard. A visit to a local place of interest is always part of the weekend and we have enjoyed a barge trip (Worcester); Compton Acres Gardens (Bournemouth); The Hat Museum in Stockport (Manchester); Hartlepool Maritime Museum amongst any others.

The Executive Committee coordinates all members nationally. Some of our members do not live within reach of a local branch and so are given the title “Country Member”. Country members exist all over Britain and meet up with all the other branches at annual meetings and sometimes join in branch events when invited.