Ensemble play at Prestigious Event

The Ensemble Team from 1224 (Wharfedale) Sqn were invited to provide the music for the fourth Qualified Aerospace Instructors Course  Graduation Dinner held in the Officers Mess at RAF Linton-on-Ouse.  42 cadets from across all six regions graduated. After playing a variety of music throughout the evening, the Wharfedale Cadets were invited to the top table to meet the guests, these included Air Vice Marshal Mike Lloyd, Air Officer Commanding No 22 (Training) Group, Air Vice Marshal (Ret’d) Stu Butler, Commandant Air Cadets, Air Commodore Barbara Cooper and North Region Commandant, Group Captain John Middleton.  It was a fantastic evening providing the Wharfedale cadets with an opportunity to play music to a very high standard and a setting which allowed for the feel of the music to come across.

Wharfedale Celebrate Triple Success

The annual presentation evening for Cadets and Staff at 1224 (Wharfedale) Sqn was another successful evening.  The reception was held at the Kings Hall in Ilkley.  Guests were greeted by Cdt Callum Carslaw on the Bag Pipes with the newest cadets on Squadron providing the Guard of Honour arranged by Cpl Karl Verspyck.  Guests were then escorted into the Winter Gardens before taking their seats in the Kings Hall. 

Each cadet was invited onto the stage to be presented with certificates and qualifications gained throughout the last year by Wing Commander Wiggins these included; Classifications, BTEC Aviation, Young Life Savers First Aid, Intermediate Swimming, Duke of Edinburgh Bronze and Silver. Cadet Sergeant Ben Connor and Rhys Leighton were promoted to Flight Sergeant and Cadet Lisa Whitaker to Corporal. 

Following grace said by Cadet Warrant Officer Sam White, and after eating a good three course meal, the trophies were awarded by Guest of Honour Sir Colin Sampson.

For Sir Colin Sampson, former Chief Constable West Yorkshire Police, it was a change in uniform colour from the Police Service to the Royal Air Force. Together with his wife Lady Kathleen, he thoroughly enjoyed the evening.  Both Sir Colin and Lady Kathleen spent time with the staff and cadets and commented ‘how polite and smart the cadets were and how much he had enjoyed talking to them and discovering all the adventures they can take part in’. 

 

Cpl Callum Parker being presented with the Ian Clarke Memorial Trophy.

Sir Colin presented the awards to the following cadets;

Best new cadet: Cadet Ashleigh Smith
Best Intermediate: Corporal Callum Parker
Best Senior Cadet: Sergeant Jamie Partovi
Cadet of the Year:  Sergeant Chris Cavaliere
The Commanding Officers Cup was awarded to Cpl Jorgen Moore
Ian Clarke Memorial trophy for Community Service: Corporal Callum Parker
Attendance Trophy: Sergeant Chris Cavaliere
Royal Air Forces Association Salver: Corporal Callum Parker
Sports Trophy: Corporal Lisa Whitaker
Bandsman of the Year: Flight Sergeant Tom Smith
White Rose Shooting Trophy: Cadet Ashleigh Smith
Best turned out NCO and Cadet: Corporal Kjersti Moore and Cadet Tom Hepworth

Following speeches, the band gave a concert standard performance combining traditional marches with ‘Pirates of the Caribbean’ and Tunes from ‘Titanic’  Percussion now has a junior and senior section - with the junior section performing a piece from the Air Cadet National Marching Drum Corps and the Seniors reaching new heights and basing their routine on the Royal Marines Drum Corps.  They were both excellent but the senior drummers were outstanding.  Cadet Carslaw showed how well he plays the pipes with a fantastic solo and then the whole band combined to play ‘How to Train Your Dragon’.  The evening finished with ‘Ilkla Moor Baht'At and ’Abide with Me’.  Most of the concert is available on the Squadron's YouTube Channel

Flight Lieutenant Sue Leighton "I am extremely proud of all the cadets.  Tonight is their night and it is a formal occasion for them to celebrate all their achievements.  It is also good to see so many families attending and supporting the cadets'.

A week later, cadets and staff underwent an Inspection by Group Captain Middleton, the Commandant of the North Region Air Training Corps. Wharfedale have been selected as the most Efficient Squadron in the Wing and are therefore representing Central and East Yorkshire in the Lees Trophy.  This is a National Competition to find the best Squadron in the Air Training Corps.

Having reviewed a formal parade of the Squadron, Group Captain Middleton made a tour of the unit where he got to see the cadets in action.  He saw cadets undergoing marching band practice, preparing for their Duke of Edinburgh Expedition, First Class training for our newest cadets, First Aid Demonstration and then joined the Aircraft Recognition Team and took part in a test (of course he obtained full marks).

In recognition of their commitment to the Squadron, the Senior Cadets were invited to join the Group Captain Middleton for a buffet. The evening concluded with a presentation to Group Captain Middleton, Mrs Angela St.John, Chair of the Civilian Committee and Cllr Heathcliffe Bowen, Chairman of Ilkley Parish Council by Corporal Lisa Whittaker and Cadet Jack Croft on the adventures of Wharfedale cadets in 2011.

Also present that evening were two ex-cadets, Tomos St.John who is now an Officer Cadet at Liverpool University Air Squadron and Leading Aircraftsman Alex Chambers who has just passed out of RAF Halton and was awarded 'Best Recruit'.

Flight Lieutenant Sue Leighton said "The cadets really enjoyed the visit.  Group Captain Middleton was very interactive with them and formally recognised the hard work by staff and cadets at the Squadron".  

 In the same week, Wharfedale were awarded a Gold Star for Health and Safety.  This is another significant achievement as the award scheme is only a year old and Wharfedale are first to achieve in the Central and East Yorkshire Wing. 

1224 Celebrate ATC Sunday

On a cold Sunday 5th February 2012, the cadets and staff of 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron travelled to York to take part in the annual Central & East Yorkshire Wing ATC Sunday service and parade - though due to the snow no parade actually took place.

The service took place inside York Minster and prior to this the Squadron band played outside the minster before the general public.

During the service the Squadrons Banner was paraded by Cpl Karl Verspyck. Also during the ceremony Cadet Warrant Officer Sam White spoke of the bands musical achievements at the National Band Competition.

After the service Group Captain Middleton, Regional Commandant of North Region personally thanked the band for their performance and even gave CWO White 10/10 for his speech.

RAFA Pay a Flying Visit to Wharfedale

On Monday 16th January Darrell Slater-Smith, Area Director Royal Air Force Association along with Mr Harry Dowson of the Skipton RAFA Branch visited Squadron to provide cadets with an up to date report on how RAFA supports both retired and current memebers of the Royal Air Force.  

It was great to hear that RAFA now provide all personnel serving in Afghanistan with £20's worth of extra calls per month so they could ring home. The cadets liked the story book, where staff record a story or a special message on a CD so their children can listen to them any time whilst they are away on duty.  

 Cpl Callum Parker - The highest individual collector of 2011 with Mr Dowson and Mr Slater-Smith

The next day the letter arrived to announce Cadets and Staff at 1224 (Wharfedale) Sqn were  again the winners of the Sir Douglas Bader 'Wings Appeal' Trophy 2011 with a per captia average of £187.97.  The total collected £8,834.43 was the highest single amount collected by any Squadron during the year.

Cross Country Success for 1224

In early January 2012, a group of Cadets from 1224 (Wharfedale) Squadron attended the annual Central and East Yorkshire Wing Inter-Squadron Cross Country competition.

Hoping to build on last years results the Squadron entered teams in the Under 15 and Under 17 boys categories as well as the Junior Women's'.

The Squadron did in fact build on last years results and won the Under 15 boys whilst placing 2nd in the Under 17 boys.

There were individual third places for Cadets Danny Stainton (U17 Boys), Nina Wingate (Jnr Women) and Alex Atraszkiewicz (U15 Boys), all of whom qualify, along with Sgt Chris Cavaliere (4th in U17 Boys), to represent the Squadron and the Wing at the inter-Wing Cross country later in the year.

Also present from 1224 were WO Wood and CWO White - the latter who being too old to compete marshalled during the day - a decision which he later regretted after wearing too few layers to deal with the cold winter morning.

The 1224 Cross Country Team 2012

Santa Specials 2011

Every weekend approaching Christmas, a team of cadets from Wharfedale have assisted Santa at the Embsay & Bolton Abbey Steam Train Santa Specials.

The cadets help keep Santa's grotto well stocked and also tidy!  They then help Santa select the correct present for the age of the visitors.  There were four trains daily so the cadets were kept busy but inbetween well supplied with sandwiches and hot drinks.

Flt Lt Sue Leighton said "We never have a shortage of volunteers for the steam trains and we have to rotate the allocation to give everyone an opportunity to attend".

Magnificent Seven Parade with ACO National Band.

Seven Air Cadets from Wharfedale joined the Air Cadet National Marching Band and took part in the Birmingham Tattoo just before Christmas. The whole weekend gave them all the experience of performing at a much higher level with formal dress rehearsals at the National Indoor Arena, Birmingham.

The cadets performed on Saturday evening and Sunday afternoon in front of near capacity audiences. In the finale, they joined with the Band of Her Majesty’s Royal Marines, Norwegian Kings Guard Veterans Band, Band of the Yorkshire Volunteers and Band of the Liberation Army in a traditional Christmas celebration of carols.

 For Cadet Corporal Jorgen Moore the weekend was made even more special when the drummers were invited to meet the Royal Marine drummers.

See it on YouTube @ http://www.youtube.com/watch?v=wO1UlpKP-fo