The Q Store will be closed from . . .

The Secretary, Treasurer, QM and Blogmaster are going to the UK together from 22 July to the end of August. Most things will continue at the level of service you've come to expect (sorry about that), except the Q Store can't deliver in the absence of this quartet (poor leave rostering).

You need to place an order not later than Friday 17 July if you want it delivered before trade is suspended.

This affects the 75th Anniversary mugs in particular. As well as moving quickly, they are a limited edition which will never be repeated - when they are gone, they're gone. Check them out again here . . .

She sears a path for the infantry

You can't describe the moral lift,
 when in the fight your spirit weary,

hears above the hostile fire

your own artillery.
Shells score the air like wavy hair
from a forward battery.
As regimental cannon crack
while from positions further back,
in bitter sweet song overhead
crashing discordantly
Division's pounding joins the attack;
Mother-like she belches shell;
Glorious it flies, and well,
As, with a hissing screaming squall,
A roaring furnace, giving all,
she sears a path for the infantry...."

Aleksandr Tvardovskiy, from the poem Vasily Tyorkin, 1943

Clear the pool!

From Frank Parry:
A life guard with a sense of humour. You'll need your speakers ON.

Now there's a thought

Think, or others will think for you.

F Scott Fitzgerald

If you're not scared or angry at the thought of a human brain
being controlled remotely, then it could be this prototype of
mine is finally starting to work.

John Alejandro King

MJ or the Soldier?

A young soldier's thoughts bring into focus the small world that exists in many people's minds, when they grieve the not unexpected demise of an entertainer while calmly accepting the almost daily loss of life of the men and women who sustain their freedom.
Read it here . . .

So, who will be there? First, the usual suspects

Thanks to those members who have been quick to respond to our call for an early indication of attendance. Equal first prize goes to Robert Smith and Neil Rhynd, who almost beat the starter's gun.
Keep track of who's doing what by checking here . . . and remember to have your own name added - please! - if you haven't already done so.

Help wanted - Passchendaele: The Belgians Have Not Forgotten

Passchendaele : The Belgians Have Not Forgotten is a public exhibition presented to the people of New Zealand in appreciation and memory of the thousands of Kiwis who lost their lives in the long-running battle of Passchendaele.
To make it a success during October-November, the organisers need 100-plus volunteers to cover 43 days of exhibition time.
There will be peaks when a school or a bus party arrives. The volunteers will be rostered on days they are available. They simply need to be on site, in the grounds or at the exhibition - telling people where to park, watching the stairs, where the toilets are, turning the music on. It would be great if medals were worn, and a service in honour of the fallen.
Now you've decided you could be there some of the time, contact Barry Dreyer - (b.dreyer@fleetpartners.co.nz)