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On Mothers Day, 4 cadets and myself went to Imjin Barracks in Gloucester to take part in the Gloucestershire Inter Services spring skills competition, between Air Cadets, Army Cadets, Sea Cadets and the Combined Cadet Force.   Despite freezing conditions and a number of tasks including moutain biking skills, first aid, observation, anagrams. minefield and low level obstacle crossing...... TS Otter came away as runners up in the First Aid ahead of 12 other teams.  Apparently they showed true initiative with distracting singing skills among other things to keep the casualties calm!!  Well done to POC Ashley Macrow, LC Zara Von Benzon, LC Thea Griffiths and AC Jack Griffiths.  With only a weeks notice the team did very well to come away with a medal

Sarah Griffiths

Having a reputation within Severn District for its standard of armed drill in the past decade, Tewkesbury Sea Cadets had not fully entered a drill competition in years; but 2013 saw a change to this. With a new cohort of instructors all keen on drill, it was decided that T.S Otter would again take up the challenge of entering a drill team - but with a new challenge of entering a category they had never done before; the unarmed squad, it was set to be a hard challenge, but a challenge all members succeeded at.

Since Christmas 14 cadets, ranging from brand new cadets to the most experienced Petty Officer Cadets began training under the guidance of staff. Training initially was slow with one parade night being used a week to facilitate the squad, but by late January, additional parade evenings as well as weekends saw what was only a few months ago an inexperienced rabble of cadets into a smart and very impressive unarmed drill team. 

In the final weeks leading to the district drill competition, cadets organised their uniform, bulled their boots and the parade commander learned his routine, as well as taking A level exams at the same time. Saturday 9^th February saw yet another all day practice, and an evening of final uniform prep, boot cleaning and a well earned movie and pizza night, and then home for a rest in anticipation of the morning. 

8am on Sunday morning saw the squad turn up to the unit to bacon rolls and a drink, with their uniform all prepared on hangers and boxes ready to go. Amazing help from parents and supporters saw the team arrive at St Peters School in one piece, even with a little detour! Being on last, the squad had to endure watching all the opposition, but this didn’t deter them; once on the parade square, the squad did amazingly! Although plenty to work on for the Area competition, they performed so well by the time they had got through ¾ of their routine, they had sufficient points to win, which was a real indication of how hard they had all worked. 

A huge thank you to all cadets who took part as well as the parents, friends and supporters involved, from dropping cadets off at silly o’clock on weekends, to helping prep uniform, to transportation help. This is what Tewkesbury Unit is renowned for, let’s hope we can perform as well at the Area Competition in March! 

S/Lt Tristan Cooper

In December TS Otter was presented with the Honourable Company of Gloucestershire Award 2012 for being the most active Sea Cadet Unit in support of the local community. 

The Warden, Mr Patrick Brook, commented how much the cadets had achieved in the past year and how impressed he was with the training that he had seen during his visit. Also in attendance was Air Vice Marshal (Retired) Tony Mason, Chairman of the Armed Forces Group of the Company. In addition to an illuminated framed certificate a cheque for £500 was provided for Unit funds. 

The Honourable Company is an organisation of 150 leading people in the County and is based on the principal of a London Livery Company. 

In addition to the Unit Award, Petty Officer Cadet Harry Griffiths was runner up in the Individual Award in the County Inter-Service Competition.

As a lot of us are aware, two army commandos, Corporal Dan Lewis and Corporal Shaun Bowden from the Army's Bomb Disposal Unit in Ashchurch decided to raise money for a local charity. Luckily for us they chose to do it for our unit as well as their own Felix Fund charity, which supports bomb disposal experts and their families. After a false start when they were posted abroad they got round to organising the event in Morrisons foyer on a running machine during a week in December taking between 3 - 3.5hrs per day.

The guys had never run a marathon before and much to our astonishment went ahead and did it anyway. I myself was there every day to witness the superhuman effort made by these two commandos in running alternatively the seven marathons in seven days.  We raised a staggering amount of money for the unit, in the region of £3000!! Well I say we, I only managed 1 mile, our Commanding Officer Lt Cdr Kinghorn managed about 1/2 mile while POC Harry Griffiths put a total of 10 miles.  Our thanks also go to the staff and customers of Morrisons for their support and generosity.

I would like to thank Dan and Shaun on behalf of the whole ships company for the fantastic efforts made by them, in what has been the most money raised in a single event since I have been involved with TS Otter. They have also subsequently said that they would like to help fundraise further and give ongoing help to TS Otter.

It makes me very proud to have met two serving army commandos who not only put their lives on the line for our country but are willing to take time out to support us at Tewkesbury Sea Cadets.

From all at TS Otter I wish them well and please keep safe. I also look forward to working with them in the future.

Good luck guys and thank you both so much from all of us at TS Otter.

Dave Macrow, Unit Chairman.

Congratulations to Junior Cadets Ryan McCoubrie, Joshua Wright, Scott Buchanan, Lee Jones and Danies James who were runners up at the District Football Competition at Cheltenham in December 2012.  Extremely well done.  Picture shows the juniors named from left to right with their certificates.