January 2025

Selamat Hari Kerismus dan Tahun Bahru

Poopalu Nagiah, an Associate Member who lives in Port Dickson, Malaysia has sent us Best Wishes for Christmas and New Year and asks to be remembered to all who served in 104 / 6 Minesweeper Squadron during late 1950's to late 1970's in Singapore.

Many will recall Poopalu as the skinny teenager who hung around the jetty and welcomed many visting TONs. Always ready to run odd jobs and to show new Posties where to collect the mail, Poopalu befriended many TONs sailors and kept in touch with several, some of whom invited him on board when they returned to Eastern Waters in command of larger ships. Some even became Admirals ! Poopalu is very proud of the photos taken at these receptions.

When he aquired a camera, Poopalu photographed all HM Ships that visited PD, even destroyers who had to anchor off, as they could not go alongside the small wooden jetty.

Grown up, Poopalu became the Demon Barber of PD and raised a family of three elegant daughters, whom Tony Standish, Charlie Farnes and the late Stuart Johnson met in the 1980's when they made a sentimental return to our old stamping ground.

We reciprocate Poopalu's kind good wishes for him and his family and hope to continue to keep in touch for many years.


From Nigel Edgell, Bristol Ship Lovers Society 

We had the Bristol Ship Lovers Society post Christmas Lunch last week.

It is a tradition that the model makers in the society bring along a few models for display on tables set aside for this at the venue.  People also bring along maritime memorabilia for display.

I decided to take along my newly completed 1/350 scale HMS Upton, together with a tramp steamer I built about 10 years ago.

I furnished my little UPTON with its own sea base for the event. See attached photos.

Whist standing by the table prior to the meal no less than three members perusing the display and noticing  UPTON,  told me that they had served in Ton Class vessels.

I knew that one of them  had been in the RNR Severn Division and had been down to Gib for 2 weeks each year  some considerable time back and I think I remember that he had previously  mentioned that this was onboard a Ton.

What I didn't know was that our President, a much respected merchant master mariner , had also been in the RNR and spent time in a Ton and that  another member, a former MOD civil servant logistician, had done a short period of "sea training " in a Ton.

We had quite a good chat about all this - all triggered by me brining along a tiny model !

Just thought you might be amused by this.

We have suggested that Nigel should bring the TCA website  to the attention of his new friends, as they would all qualify to join us - Webmaster


White Rose Branch Meeting 

Members and wives of the White Rose Branch of TCA met up over the weekend 17/18 January for our quarterly get together in York.

13 members met up on Friday afternoon for drinks in the bar, followed by a meal and a few wets in the evening. A very special mention to TCA Reunion Sec James Virgo who had made the long journey from Plymouth to give us an update on this year’s Reunion to be held in Cardiff and also to Steve (Taff) & Nancy Ruck who had travelled down from Inverkeithing.

On Saturday afternoon we had an informal group meeting during which we decided that due to age creeping up on only some of us, we would not attend the Eden Camp Remembrance Service in September this year and John Rogers treated us to an informative and amusing dit about Nelson.  

We were joined by Pincher Martin & Judy, and Trevor's family members, making 17 of us for the Saturday evening meal.

A great time was had by all.