Torpoint Mosquito Sailing Club honours outgoing president for 25 years service
by Brigitte Mann 4 Dec 2016 10:33 UTC
4 December 2016
Doreen and Dave England with Steve Creek in background © Rick Napp
At its recent AGM, Torpoint Mosquito Sailing Club took time out to thank retiring Honorary President, Dave England, for more than twenty-five years of service to the Club as Honorary President.
Dave, who is well known to the people of Torpoint from his teaching days as well as his work at the water sports club, has been a member and friend of Torpoint Mosquito for over 50 years. He was instrumental, amongst other things, in promoting the Club's frequent cross channel yacht cruises to Bendodet in Brittaney and hosting our French friends on return trips.
His first home-built Mirror dinghy, Sinbad, and his yachts Sherpa, Pieta and Lady Grey kept him in stories over the years. Steve Creek, Commodore, and the in-coming Honorary President, Tony Ayers, made a presentation of brandy glasses engraved with the club burgee and the words "with appreciation" and a painting of the club to Dave whilst his wife, Doreen, was presented with a bouquet of flowers for her invaluable support.
In his presentation Tony explained that both he and Dave's fathers were in the same mess aboard HMS Norfolk (the Devonport based heavy cruiser) when she engaged the German battleship Scharnhorst north of the North Cape of Norway on Boxing Day 1943 and that the Vice Admiral Robert Burnett, flag officer at the time of this action, later officially re-opened the club in 1949 when he was the Port Admiral at Plymouth. Tony said that both their fathers would have been proud of Dave's contribution to the club over so many years.
On receiving his gifts, Dave England said "I am surprised and delighted with the gifts that the Club has presented to me and Doreen this evening. This Club has been an enormous part of our lives since I first walked through the doors 54 years ago and we won't be disappearing. We want to wish the Club, and Tony in particular, all best wishes for the future."