EVENT CALENDARS

Date Event Venue APRIL Sat 04 Grand National Liverpool Fri 10 Good Friday UK Wed 22 International Earth Day - 200 Million people in 141 Countries Worldwide Thu 23 St Georges Day UK Fri 24 Ramadan Begins Worldwide Sat 25 MNA National Council Meeting - Observers welcome Birmingham Sat 25 ANZAC Day Australia/NZ/UK Mon 27 National Gardening Week UK MAY Fri 01 GET WALKING IN MAY - arrange local events National Walking Month just 1 mile a day for next 10 days UK Fri 08 VE Day 75th Anniversary (3 days) UK/Europe Fri 08 London Cenotaph event through RBL London Fri 08 MNA Branch members "Toast to the Nation" at 1500. This was the time Winston Churchill made announcement on radio that the war was over UK Tue 12 Garden Party at Buckingham Palace London Tue 19 Garden Party at Buckingham Palace London Mon 25 Spring Bank Holiday UK Mon 25 Closing Date for MN Medal nominations UK Tue 26 80th Anniversary of Operation Dynamo and the evacuation of Dunkirk UK Wed 27 Garden Party at Buckingham Palace London Fri 29 Deadline for Full Ahead Articles Worldwide JUNE Wed 03 National Fish And Ships Day - Lunch at the Chippy, donation to fishing charity UK Mon 08 World Ocean's Day Worldwide Thu 11 HMT Lancastria Service 80th Anniversary London Sat 13 Trooping the Colour London Sun 14 Falklands Chapel Service A Lunch Pangbourne Sat 20 Longest Day of the Year - Summer Solstice UK Sun 21 Weymouth Veterans Parade Weymouth Sun 21 Father's Day UK Mon 22 HM Forces Veterans Flag Raising Day, take your Standards UK Thu 25 Korean War, 70th Anniversary UK Thu 25 International Maritime Organisation (IMO) Day of the Seafarer Worldwide Sat 27 Armed Forcers Weekend at NMA with entertainment for all ages and live music Alrewas Sat 27 Armed Forces Day Main Event tbc JULY Sat 04 National Council Meeting - Observers welcome Birmingham Mon 06-12 Seafarers Awareness Week - Seafarers Safety - raising awareness of seafarer safety. Branch collection for SfUK's 'MERCHANT NAVY FUND' UK Tue 07 COBSEO AGM London Wed 08 Repatriation of Capt Fryatt - Harwich Mayflower Museum Harwich Sun 12 SEA SUNDAY UK Fri 31 Black Tot Day - 50th Anniversary of end of Rum Ration UK AUGUST Sat 01 Summer Proms at NMA with fireworks from 1800 Alrewas Sun 02 Malta Pedastal Convoy Departs - Tail of the Bank Clyde Wed 05 Mayflower and Speedwell set sail for America Southampton Sat 08 - 15 Cowes Week UK Fri 14 -16 VJ75 At National Memorial Arboretum (NMA) Alrewas Sat 15 VJ Day 75th Anniversary Worldwide Sun 16 George Cross Island Service, All Hallows by the Tower London Fri 28 Deadline for Full Ahead Articles Worldwide Mon 31 Summer Bank Holiday UK SEPTEMBER Thu 03 Merchant Navy Day - Promote even more Red Ensigns in your area UK/Overseas Sun 06 MNDCS20 at Trinity Square Gardens, Tower Hill London Sun 06 Mayflower set sail again for America Plymouth Wed 09 Loss of MV Derbyshire in 1980 - 40th Anniversary Service Liverpool Tue 15 80th Anniversary of Battle of Britain UK Tue 22 Autumnal Equinox - Equal day and night UK Thu 24 World Maritime Day Worldwide OCTOBER Fri 02 Older People's Day - Local Engagement with community groups UK Sat 03 National Atomic Vets Awareness Day (BNTVA) UK Wed 07-13 National Curry Week UK Wed 14 MSSC AGM (Annual Court) London Wed 14 Annual National Seafarers Service, St Paul's London Thu 15 Maritime Foundation Service - All Hallows by the Tower London Wed21 Trafalgar Day UK Fri 23 National Executive Meeting Birmingham Sat 24 MNA AGM and Re-union plus the Members Open Forum Birmingham Sun 25 Clocks back one hour at 0200 hrs UK Wed 28 - 29 Maritime Charities Group (MCG) 2-Day Seminar London NOVEMBER Mon 02 Fields of Remembrance - well worth a visit with 120,000 tribute crosses Westminster Abbey Sat 07 Festival of Remembrance - Albert Hall London Sun 08 Remembrance Service at Cenotaph and St Pauls London Sun 08 HCMM MN Service at Tower Hill - cancelled London Wed 11 Mayflower anchors off what is now Provincetown Harbour, Cape Cod America Wed 11 Armistice Day UK Wed 11 Silence in the Square - Trafalgar Square London Sun 15 MNA Newport Service of Remembrance Newport Fri 27 Deadline for Full Ahead Articles Worldwide Mon 30 St Andrew's Day UK DECEMBER Thu 10-14 Seasonal Lunches at NMA with entertainment Alrewas Mon 21 Shortest Day - Winter Solstice UK Fri 25 Christmas Day Worldwide Mon 28 Bank Holiday Monday (in Lieu of Boxing Day) UK tba Branch Christmas Lunch/Dinner Worldwide ANNIVERSARIES 115th Anniversary of Royal Fleet Auxiliary; 150th Anniversary of the first voyage of Cutty Sark; 215th Anniversary of Beaufort Wind Scale; 400th Anniversary of Mayflower and Santa Maria sailing to the Americas on 6th September in 1620; 1725th Anniversary of the 1st coin in England depicting a ship c295, a Roman Quinarius