Origins of the Club Newsletter by I R E Member

Over the last few weeks during the “lock down” it inspired me to start getting rid of
out of date paper work which included old FFSC related material.
Suffice to say a vast amount of rubbish was discarded and shredded. However I did
unearth a stack of old club “Newsletters” dating back to 1966 when it was first
produced.

Over the years the newsletter started out as “Fairway” in July 1966 and through time
has changed its title to “Newsletter” “Aeolus” “Ferry Flotsam” “FFSC Newsletter”
“Ferry News” and finally as an electronic “FFSC Weekly News”.

On reading through some of the back numbers they reveal some interesting
stories,various dinghy reports,and other articles on different subjects, general chit chat
and an insight as what was happening in and around the sailing club all those years
ago. Some current members might well be able to recall those heady day when there
were very few restrictions.

The original newsletter was produced under the editorship on John Powell assisted by
Elizabeth Burton and Robert Wright. It consisted of four double sides of A4 which
were printed at Yew Tree Farm, Crettingham by kind permission of Roger Corrall. All
the articles were hand typed on special waxed paper and the various adverts were
hand drawn. This was then printed by using a hand wound “Gestetner” which took
an age to do correctly. Some of the adverts that appeared in a number of the
newsletter’s were for Adnams, Seamark Nunn, Barnards of Stowmarket. Egerton’s
Garage, Farthing Marine to name but a few.

Throughout the early years a number of club members have assisted in the
production as editors or assistants. Graham Henderson, Sue Stokes, Wendy Bugg,
and Patrick Billing. From the early seventies there were a number of different
editors as far as I can find out. Ken Banks, Chris Nelson, Gordon Emmeny, Paul
Baskerville, Peter Bloomfield and Mike Tehan.

The original newsletter had it’s own slogan,”A Quarterly Newsletter for Ferry People
by Ferry People.” Fairway was produced up until September 1970 and reappeared as
FFSC Newsletter in 1972.

The content of the first Fairway was mainly reports from each class captain, social
scene happenings,water ski news and a long sailing Captains report by Pete White.
Hidden in amongst all these reports was a short article headed “The Little People”
It read as follows; “The club is currently suffering from a mild bout of subversive
activity amongst a small group of members who describe themselves as the “MINI-MEN”. One might ask if this subversion was quashed or did they go under ground or what?

Over the years there have been many amusing articles on a variety of subjects and
stories concerning the club by all sorts of authors some of which have signed
themselves with strange sounding names. Some of the articles are genuine and others
poke fun at the establishment. There was Lady Fiona who gave fashion tips to the
sailors. Elizabeth Aston with her Ferry Cook Book later to be replace by Ivor Nosh’s
Boat Food. Droppings from the crows nest by Seagull. Nautical quiz by Matthew
Walker. Various poetry by Bar Buoy. Other names that stand out are Rope Yarn,
Spinnaker Pole Bill, Dick Shaun Airey, Boots and A L K Holic. One wonders who
these authors were and where are they now. Answer on a post card to the editor!

Inter dispersed throughout the newsletter are many one liners and short jokes poking
fun at club members. If some of these were printed today they might be considered
as libellous and upset those who were the butt of the joke. However there was one that
was reputed to have been said at a general committee meeting.” O Lord help me keep
my big mouth shut until I know what I am talking about”. Does this sound familiar?
Another thing that ran throughout most of the newsletters was the “Catches”
“Hatches” and “Matches” entries. It made interesting reading to see how people’s
lives have panned out.

Perhaps another time some more facts and quotations from past club newsletters.
Finally I quote from Aeolus December 1975;

ODE TO A FLAG OFFICER

by CHARLES CHADWICK

The Flag Officer ,he stood at the Golden Gate

His head was bent and low.
Meekly he asked the man of fate
Which way do I go.
“What have you done” St Peter said
To Claim admission here?
“I was a Flag Officer for FFSC”, Sir I said
For many and many a long year.
St Peter open wide the gate
And with a smile as well
Said “enter and choose a harp then Mate
You’re had YOUR share of Hell”.