Rtns Keith Dabbs and David Axon: In the News

We had three visitors today, Jackie Whitbread, President Francis’s wife, and two of their friends who are visiting Chelmsford.

Today’s talk consisted of two presentations, by members Keith Dabbs and David Axon.

Keith started. He produced some yellowing newspapers, one from 1945 and the others from the 1950s.

The one from 1945 was the Daily Express that celebrated the end of the Second World War. That was all the news that was covered. The newspaper only had four pages, but it was wartime and the paper only cost 1d.

The next covered the death of George VI. By this time the size had risen to eight pages and the cost had risen to 1½d.

The others included a Wolverhampton newspaper celebrating a Cup Final win by Wolverhampton Wanderers. The newspaper was printed in black on gold-coloured paper, the Wanderer’s colours.

David Axon spoke about 9/11, and particularly its effect in London, where rumours of bombs in and rogue aircraft approaching London itself. [I remember our daughter phoning me at work and urging me to go back home. I left at the usual time and, as we all now know, there were no attacks in London itself. Webmaster]

He also mentioned one of the IRA bombings in London. He was not near the explosion but the disturbance caused a lot of problems on public transport. He had to return home via a rather circuitous route.