1970
January
Wed. 14
Soldiers Rally conducted by Commissioner & Mrs. Cooper
was well attended.
24
YP Annual. Festival was given by YP Corps when prizes
were distributed. Sunday afternoon primary prizes were given out.
February
22
Baden Powell Sunday when section leaders were to the fore.
March
1
Senior Altar Service which amounted to £84-19-0.
8
Junior Altar Service
14
Retirement of Sister Mrs. Bannister from the songsters and
secretaryship which she had for a good number of years. A new
secretary was introduced, Sis. M. McQuilkin
27
Good Friday meetings were held again this year by Divisional
staff and were well attended.
May
W/E 2/3
Band Weekend. Special visit of Poole Band for the
weekend. A very good sectioin with Brig. Barrass as the guest
speaker for the weekend, who had been a former officer of ours. Two
new instruments were dedicated and passed to the Chatham Band. Bro.
Chris. Read retired as Band Colour Sgt. and Bro. R. Hewison has taken over
in his place.
June
26
Friday night – Box Hill Band, Australia. A very good
programme was heard in the Central Hall for the above band. There
was something in the region of 800-900 present to hear this fine
combination who had toured this country for ten days and had been on tour
for the last month in various places. This was the first time that
such a band was allowed to come to the 16th corps of the Army and it did
us good.
30
Candidate farewelled for the Training College and will be
missed. Candidate Mileham has been a good Soldier of the Corps and a
great help to the Corps Cadet Brigade also a Pub Boomer.
September
6
BP Weekend. Captain Burlenson in charge when all
sections were on duty.
W/E 26/27
Motherwell Songsters arrived in the afternoon and were given
tea and at 7.30pm a festival was given to a fairly packed hall. Good
mneetings were held on Sunday with the Songsters travelling back on Monday
morning.
October
W/E 10/11
Home League weekend conducted by Mrs. Brigadier Straughan.
24
Capt. Ray had YP Anniversary meetings.
W/E 31/1 Nov
Band and Songster Councils. Pre Council festival held
in Chatham Central Hall on this occasion.
November
7
Hosea was given in the Boys Tech. Maidstone Road, Chatham to
a packed building. Very good show.
14
Sale of Work. Very good again this year.
W/E 28/29
Corps Anniversary conducted by Comm. & Mrs.
Cooper. Very good meetings. Two seekers. Commissioner
Cooper said that when band formed in 1881 they played as their first tune,
“Who’ll be the next”.
December
12
Annual Carol Service. Hall full long before starting
time. Had to turn away quite a large crowd. Suggest we have
two evenings in 1971.
24
Finish of carol season. A good response from the public
again this year ended up with a total of £531-5-0 for the corps and
£329-2-1 for YP Corps. The total fo High Street collections was
£554-5-8. in three six hour stands shared by YP and so we finish the year
with a wonderful victory.
1971
February
W/E 6/7
Col.& Mrs. Wells, National Youth Secretary spent a good
weekend accompanied by the DC & Mrs. Buist.
W/E 28/1 March
General & Mrs. Coutts spent a very happy weekend.
Saturday evening festival was good and Sunday meetings were good meetings
enjoyed by everyone.
April
3
Band Festival for instrument cases and it was one of the
best
W/E 10/11
North Shields Singing Company. Spent a great weekend
with us. It was enjoyed by a good crowd on the Saturday
evening. Sunday meetings were quite good finishing with a festival
on Monday afternoon.
June
17
Copenhagen String Band. A good crowd gathered for this
occasion and was well enjoyed by all. Chatham Band assisted.
September
11
Flag Day was held again this year and collected £183 which
was very good.
October
6
Meeting of Locals for the 100th anniversary to talk about
what should be done.
W/E 16/17
Home League weekend. Mrs. Major Cottrel conducted the
weekend ending on the Monday night with a visit of the Home League Singers
from Bexleyheath Corps.
W/E 23/24
YP Anniversary was conducted by Col. Larsson. Sunday
morning meeting was well attended by Baden Powell sections.
November
W/E 27/28
Corps Anniversary was conducted by Col. & Mrs.
McAllister – quite a good weekend.
December
W/E 11/12
Carol Service in Central Hall. We had to have two
nights as the year before we had to turn so many people away. A good
collection of sweets and toys were made.
Carol playing this year was very good and £1069-63 was
collected divided between senior and YP sections.
1972
January
23
Rev. Hobbs conducted the Sunday night meeting. This
was an exchange of pulpit.
W/E 29/30
YP Annual prize giving was conducted by Col. & Mrs. Hook
of the Staff Band.
April
W/E 8/9
Worthing Songsters visited us for the weekend starting with
a festival on the Saturday evening. This brigade was a pleasure to
hear and blessing was received.
May
21
Farewell to Brigadier and Mrs. Black.
W/E 27/28
Singing Company visiting North Shields Corps this weekend in
an exchange visit. Wecome of Major & Mrs. Sneller and Family.
June
W/E 24/25
Band Weekend.
September
W/E 16/17
YP Harvest this year a supper was provided.
W/E 23/24
Senior Harvest.
October
21
Home League weekend.
November
11
Soldiers meeting conducted by Major Denis Hunter, Field
Secretary.
W/E 18/19
99th Anniversary conducted by Major & Mrs. Stuart Booth.
Quite a good weekend and a start for the 100th anniversary by a collection
for the new song books. 5,000 brochures were put on sale.
25
Sale of Work was had once more and the amount of £223-60
was made.
26
Band Sunday. Southend Band were the guest section for
the Sunday.
December
W/E 2/3
Youth Group weekend. The Billl Booth Machine group
were the guest section for the weekend.
W/E 9/10
Carol Service was once again Saturday evening and Sunday
afternoon and evening, with a good crowd and a good collection was
had. About £258-58.
Christmas playing was a good effort again in the sum of
£1083-85.
1973
January
7
Continuation of Centenary Year. The British
Commissioner conducted a good Sunday meetings.
March
W/E 3/4
Lt. Col. Fred. Jackson. A good weekend for Self
Denial.
17
A different kind of evening was given by Gillingham and
Chatham Band. Male voices were the Chatham Band and Gillingham did
the playing. Made and interesting evening. New uniform used
for the first time.
W/E 31/1 April
Band Weekend. Bro. Eric Ball conducted this. The
Saturday afternoon was conducted as a council when Bro. Ball explained the
music and how it should be played. A very good weekend.
April
W/E 28/29
Southsea Songsters and Joybells. This was a very good
weekend with good singing etc…
May
W/E 19/20
Stapleford Band arrived on the Saturday afternoon. A
good programme in the evening and meetings all day on Sunday.
June
2
Gillingham Field Day in which our band took part in the
Motorcade
W/E 23/24
Baden Powell Weekend. Conducted by Capt. Horne one of
our own young people.
July
W/E 14/15
Singing Company weekend. Major and Mrs. Keif. A
good weekend with the Major and Singing Company sang some of his songs.
September
1
Flag day once again not many soldiers supported.
W/E 22/23
YP Band weekend. A special feature was the visit of
the Portsmouth YP Band. The Band was in very good form. Quite
a number of the boys took part and a very good weekend was had by all the
people who attended.
October
W/E 13/14
Songster weekend. Special visit of the Birmingham
Citadel Songster Brigade. This was a good weekend and was very well
received by a good company of people present.
W/E 20/21
Home League weekend. Conducted by Brig. & Mrs.
Gregson. Saturday evening Maidstone Songsters gave quite a good
programme. Sunday meetings were quite good.
November
W/E 3/4
Start of Centenary Fortnight. YP Anniversary started
this off with a good start.
Mon. 5
Centenary Dinner when we had 82 people sitting down to a
good dinner.
Tues. 6
Band Night. Something out of the ordinary was seen.
Wed. 7
Singing Company night with guests from the TC
Thurs. 8
Songster night was quite good.
Fri. 9
At Home. Was attended quite well.
W/E 10/11
Corps Cadet Weekend. Lt. Barbara Mileham was in charge
and had a good time.
Mon. 12
Torchbearer night. Rather noisey but quite good.
Tues. 13
YP Band night was good.
Thurs. 15
Scout and Guide night.
Fri. 16
Home League night.
W/E 17/18
The final weekend of the 100 years with General Coutts
this was as good as expected. On the Sunday night at the Rochester
Cathedral at 6.30pm with a congregation of over 500 people present to
finish the whole centenary celebration.
December
W/E 8/9
Carol Services were well attended again this year with good
congregations at each session and was well received.
Christmas playing was good again this year with about
£1,300 to, we hope, swell the rebuilding fund.
1974
March
Sun. 17
The Young People went to Eastchurch prison to give a short
version of Musical Life
June
Mon. 3
Visit of the Canadian Staff Band. The programme was
held in the Chatham Central Hall. This was a very happy time and
there were about some 900 people attending.
August
W/E 28/29
Visit of Dudley Band. A fairly good weekend.
Attendance was very good and on the whole was worth while.
October
W/E 26/27
Special visit of Ilford Singing Company conducted by Brig.
Woodger an old YP Corps member and it’s nice to see them returning to the
Corps from time to time.
December
The month of carol playing. The Saturday and Sunday
services in the Central Hall were again well attended and the
playing of carols round the town was very much appreciated again and so we
were able to swell the rebuilding fund again.
There did not seem to be much going on this year of any special occasion
but one thing has gone forward month by month is the Sunday afternoon
Community Programmes, which bring blessing to many senior citizens.
1975
March
W/E 22/23
Visit of Stapleford Singing Company. A good weekend
was had, quite a good weekend.
April
Tues. 8
A festival given by Canterbury School of Music. A
great standard was maintained throughout the evening.
W/E 26/27/28
The visit of Stowmarket Band on an exchange basis.
Quite a good corps band and well maintained standard throughout the
weekend.
June
Sat. 7
Day of Hands Across the Sea. This was held at
Calais. Our YP Band & Singing Company took part and by what one
hears of this a jolly good day was received by everyone who took part.
Sat. 28
Flag day came round once more with the help of comrades the
amount collected was £205-40.
July
Sun. 6
Farewell of Major and Mrs Sneller.
Sun. 13
Welcome meetings of Major and Mrs Brown.
September
Sun. 14
DYPS Major and Mrs Taylor conducted meetings.
Sun. 28
Harvest weekend was held and finished with a harvest supper
on the Monday night.
October
W/E 11/12
Scouts, Guides, Brownies and Cubs weekend was led by Mrs E
Shaw.
November
Sun. 16
Corps Cadet Sunday.
Sun. 23
Colonel and Mrs Biggs conducted the Corps anniversary
weekend.
December
W/E 13/14
Carol Services – Central Hall – were held again. Nearly all
full house. Collection of toys and cash were very good.
Carol playing out in the town and street was good again this year. The
sum of nearly £1,500 was raised, this going to the rebuilding fund.
Community Sunday afternoons were held once a month in 1975.
1976
January
Sat. 24
Three ITC Cadets and Officers conducted meetings.
Sat. 31
YP Annual conducted by Captain Burdett. Nine commissions
given out.
February
Sun. 22
SD Sunday.
April
Fri. 16
Brigadier and Mrs Bell conducted Good Friday meetings when
the local churches gathered together for the Morning Service.
Sun. 25
Corps Cadet Sunday. These were led by the new CCG and were
well prepared.
May
Sun. 9
Baden Powell weekend. These were led by the ASM YP.
Sun. 16
Sunday’s meetings were held led by Lieutenant Colonel and
Mrs Ripley and also was Community Sunday afternoon.
June
Sat. 5
Flag Day. Comrades helped very well this year and produced
£290-37.
Sun. 6
Brigadier and Mrs Westwood conducted Sunday’s meetings.
W/E 12/13
YP Anniversary. This was led by one of our own Cops Cadets,
former soldier Captain Rosemary Horne. Very nice to receive one of your
own young people to come back and do a week end.
July
Sat. 3
Singing company was invited to Albert Hall in the Congress
week.
September
Sat. 18
Sponsored walk for the Hall alterations and also harvest
supper.
October
Sat. 2
Motor rally in aid of all alteration and finished with a
barbecue.
November
Fri. 5
Sponsored silence by Brownies brought in £31.
W/E 20/21
The Songsters from Leicester Castle gave a good weekend and
blessed the people very much.
December
Sat. 11
Again the Carol Services rolled round once more with very
good attendance and resulted in £396 in collections besides chocolates,
sweets etc.
Carol playing was again a good effort though the comrades of
the Corps could have done a bit more to help in the collecting, the effort
brought in £1,492-43.
1977
January
W/E 15/16
YP Annual and prize giving.
Sun. 23
The visit of Sholing Corps Cadets. These youngsters were
very good and meetings were a help to everyone.
April
W/E 9/10
Sholing Band paid us a special visit after hearing so much
about us from their Corps Cadets and did us a good weekend.
Sat. 23
Sale of work brought in the summer of £165-87.
May
Fri./Sat. 27/28
The spiritual play “Spirit” was held on the 27/28
and good attendance were had and was a benefit to all.
Mon. 30
Started alterations to the Hall to supply new toilets and
kitchen and new heating.
June
Sat. 11
Flag day once again and the same few collecting, but raised
a total of £362-40.
July
Sat. 2
Walk from London in aid of alteration fund by Bros. D
Sutton, R Brown, J Black, N Wood, N Hewison, and R Lustcombe, a walk
started from Queen Victoria Street, London to Church Street, Chatham, 40
miles all told and £146 was added to the fund by sponsors.
Sat. 9
Visit from the Netherlands band for the weekend. Their
playing was very good and good weekend was had.
September
Sat. 17
Harvest weekend, BP sections did the Saturday afternoon and
evening and raised £62 for alteration fund.
Sat. 24
Car rally and barbecue.
October
W/E 22/23
Home League weekend. Hastings band did the Saturday evening
programme and Mrs Captain Harrington Mould did the Sunday meetings.
November
Sat. 5
Songster weekend.
Sun. 13
Return of boats for the alteration Fund and the sum of
£971-86 was raised which was a good effort.
W/E 26/27
A visit of Southsea Citadel Band. The playing was very good
and represented a very good congregation all the weekend
December
W/E 10/11
Central Hall Carol services have come round once more and
good attendance was very good and £440 was a good collection.
Carol playing was good again this year was £1723 but if
only the comrades were more helpful with the collections a lot more could
be done.
1978
March
Sat. 4
Visit of Enfield Band in aid of the going into the Training
College of Ray Brown.
April
Sun. 2
Talent scheme. The Tribes of Israel was started for the next
seven months.
W/E 8/9
Northampton Band paid a weekend visit to our corps and a
good weekend was had.
Wed. 26
Special evening. Major and Mrs Shaw conducted the dedication
of Hall after redecoration.
May
W/E 20/21
Visit of Wimbledon Songsters.
June
Sat. 17
Flag day came round once more and a total of £413-69 was
raised to help with the building scheme.
Fri. 30
Songsters and Singing Company were singing at the British
Congress.
October
W/E 14/15
Norwich Mile Cross Songsters gave a weekend visit to our
Corps.
Sat. 21
Home League weekend started on the Saturday night with a
visit of Croydon Band and the Sundays meetings were conducted by the D C
and wife, Major and Mrs T Shaw.
November
Wed. 22
End of tribes of Israel.
Tribe 1 £206-00
Tribe 2 £137-00
Tribe 3 £ 23-35
Tribe 4 £ 100-00
Tribe 5 £186-00
Tribe 6 £115-00
Tribe 7 £257-00
Tribe 8 £120-73
Tribe 9 £112-10
Tribe 10 £187-00
Tribe 11 £125-50
Tribe 12 £115-00
Davis Estate £ 24-00
Juniors £ 35-00
Home League £600-00
This was a very good effort after having done so much for the last
three years and everyone was to be congratulated for the effort put in.
December
W/E 9/10
Carol services came round once more at the Central Hall,
large crowds were had at each service and response to gifts was
overwhelming and a lot of senior citizens will be helped through it.
1979
February
Self- denial this year was a great success. The total of
£2132-00 was raised.
March
W/E 10/11
Leighton Buzzard Band spent the week end and was received
with acclaim.
April
Fri. 13
Good Friday. Colonel and Mrs W Fenwick spent the day with
us. Had a silent march to the Pentagon in the High Street for witness.
June
Sun. 3
Visit of Colonel and Mrs Dumpleton, the field secretary
spend the Sunday with us.
August
Sun. 26
Candidates Corps farewell to the candidates of Chatham
Corps, Olive and Peter Dixon.
October
W/E 20/21
Home League weekend. Colonel E Pull spent the weekend at the
Corps. Sutton Band gave a programme on the Saturday evening.
W/E 27/28
Visit of Watford Songsters.
November
Sun. 18
Regent Hall Band spent the day at the Corps. This was the
first time they had been.
December
W/E 8/9
Carol services at Central Hall was again a success.
Collections and gifts were good and gave a lot of pleasure to many.