Additions to the Archive – 1 21 May 2011

There have been recent welcome additions to the Club Archive kindly donated by Mrs Judy Wilkinson, whose father, Roger Myer, became a member in 1937. Julia has been clearing out her parents’ house and packed up everything connected with RCYC and posted it to us.

The parcel contained a copy of ‘Splendid Sport’ written by Anne Heasley, (then Winder) to mark the fiftieth anniversary of the RCOD, some blazer buttons, a much-used ashtray, a sample sheet of headed note-paper, an application to become a member to the club at both Burnham and Thorney Island (more of that later) but most importantly, three copies of the Club Journal, Editions 3, 4 & 5 from Volume 3.

I already knew of the Journal, produced bi-monthly, as we have leather bound copies for the years 1935 and 1936. The arrival of these separate copies is proof that it continued into 1937. However, we can only speculate whether in went into a 1938 edition as Vol 3 No. 5 contains an ominous request for “a member with journalistic experience to take over the editorship of the Journal as the current editor, a Mr Smith, has resigned due to pressure of work.”

I think it safe to assume that the 1939 leather bound edition would never have materialised as the start of WW2 would have put paid to that!

The hunt is now on for Editions 1 & 2 and possibly Edition 6 as well, assuming that a new editor with journalistic experience volunteered. So this is a plea for members to keep an eye open.

It’s possible that they may turn up on e-bay or even in a second hand book shop. David Crabb found a Members’ List for 1939 some years ago whilst browsing through a box of assorted books and he kindly presented it to us. This particular copy had belonged to a member, Ernest W Robey who cruised the east coast in his auxiliary yacht Lurline. It also contained the racing programmes for Pin Mill Saillng Club for 1937 and 1938 as well as ‘welcoming cards’ from Aldeburgh Yacht Club and the Royal Norfolk and Suffolk Yacht Club, charming souvenirs from gracious days that have long gone…

So this is a plea to all members to keep on the alert for the missing journals or indeed anything that could be considered ‘archive material’. Pete Willetts is a keen e-bay watcher so we’ve got that covered but members may have contacts who would also keep an eye open for us.

Those three editions of the Journal contain some fascinating material that sheds light on a couple of puzzles so I shall be pleased to feature them over the next few weeks. I hope it will interest you.