Graduation Day

Today I became a post graduate at LSBU (London South Bank University). I received my Post Graduate Certificate in Political Governance with a distinction, which is part of a Masters in Public Administration. The graduation took about an hour, but taking the pictures and celebrating took about four more! Here are just a few pictures. The sun was very kind to us.


The 'big guns' are out at the National Army Museum, in who's grounds we celebrated the graduation, here are fellow graduates and one of our Tutors, Professor Alex Murdock.

Chrissie one of our Tutors, and course Director for the MPA programme.

You meet a wide variety of people at LSBU in the Post Grad School. If you ever wondered how a Nun graduate wears religious and academic robes- look no further.

'De Management' - our University security - well it is south London! Very nice people (if you are good) and they did a great job looking after us.

Aldershot Air Cadet takes on the Atlantic and wins

Nice to see my old 413 squadron is still actively giving young people great opportunities. I found a great outlet for my love of aviation as a young Cadet, and had some great experiences with them including my first solo flight at age 16yrs.

The air cadet from 413 Aldershot Sqn is F/Sgt Emma Sweetman, aged 18 years.

Full details of the expedition can be found at

http://www.exercisetransglobe.com

Emma has just finished the first leg of this round the world race between three yachts, one each from the Army, Navy and RAF.

Emma is on the RAF Yacht Discoverer. The 14 crew are made up of regular and reserve RAF and two air cadets. Emma is the youngest on board !

They had three weeks to sail from Gosport to the Canaries, where another crew take the yacht onto the next destination. Before she left Emma had a weeks training at the Joint Services Sailing Centre in Go sport. The yacht 'Discoverer' has a crew of 14 made up from RAF regulars, reserve and cadets. Incidentally, Emma is the youngest on 0Aboard.

Mo Clark
OC 413 Aldershot Sqn ATC


Update. Emma is now in the Canaries and will fly back home this Sunday.
Emma was fortunate not to suffer from sea sickness at all through the trip.

Her blog can be found on this site -
http://www.lanzaroteinformation.com/

Quote – Emmas CO at Aldershot Air Cadets says

‘We are all very proud of Emma taking on this formidable challenge. She has never been sailing before yet she wasn’t sea sick once on the whole trip. To be the youngest person in the crew on board a 60 foot yacht in the atlantic must be pretty scary. But Emma was up to it and tells us she enjoyed every minute. That’s the sort person she is, up for every challenge’

Aldershot Air Cadets are currently taking names for new recruits. Boys and girls aged 13 to 16 can apply to OC.413@aircadets.org and for more information look at the web site at www.aircadets.org

Irena Sendler

Irena Sendler - who recently died at 98 years of age, was a 2008 Nobel Peace Prize Nominee

During WWII, Irena was given permission to work in the Warsaw Ghetto, as a plumbing/sewer specialist. She had an ulterior motive.

Being German, Irena knew what the Nazi plan was for Jews.


Irena smuggled out infants in the bottom of a tool box she carried in the back of her truck. She used a burlap sack for bigger children.
She also had a dog in the back that she trained to bark when Nazi soldiers let her in and out of the ghetto. The soldiers wanted nothing to do with her dog. The barking covered noises of the infants and children.


Irena managed to smuggle out and save 2500 infants and children, before she was caught. The Nazis broke both her legs and arms, and beat her severely.


Irena kept a record in a jar buried under a tree in her back yard of all the children she smuggled out.


After the war, she tried to locate all parents that may have survived to reunite families, but most had been gassed.


The children she could not reunite were placed with foster families or adopted.


Irena was nominated for the 2008 Nobel Peace Prize. She was not selected.

Al Gore won for a slide show on Global Warming.

For more see:

http://en.wikipedia.org/wiki/Irena_Sendler

Topping Out Ceremony - Farnborough Town Centre (29th June 09)

The great and good of St Modwin, ROK and Rushmoor meet for the 'Topping Out Ceremony', with the tree offering - representing the wood in the structure being offered to the creator as thanks for providing the building materials used to build the structure. An ancient ceremony practised since ancient times.

Mr Mayor - Cllr Roger Kimber - my mate - pours in the last section of concrete.

I get to do what I do best - finish off by smoothing everything over away from the camera!!