The Hampshire Family Historian | Volume 50 No.2 | Sept 2023

HGS News

them adopted as a true record of last year’s meeting. During this part, Tony Sinclair had to leave the Hall! Then, as Interim Chairman, Tony Sinclair came back in to give the “Chairman’s Annual Report” which was a description of Paul Pinhorne’s last year in office. This can be read in full within the Members’ Area of the HGS Website, on the page containing details of this year’s Conference Day and AGM. Tony then left the Hall again! Then, our Treasurer, Ann-Marie Shearer, gave the Trustees’ Report for the year 2022, followed by the Accounts for the year which showed that the Society is in an extremely sound financial state. The Trustees’ Report and Annual Accounts are also available in the Members’ Area within the HGS Website. The Annual Accounts were formally adopted, followed by the formal appointment of Morris Crocker as our Auditors. There then followed a series of Elections, led initially by Nick Barratt. Tony Sinclair was still outside the Hall at first and, in his absence, was formally elected as HGS Chairman for the following twelve months. Upon his return, Tony then supervised the Elections of the three other Officers of the Society, namely, Kay Lovell as Vice Chair, Jane Painter as Secretary and the re-election of Ann-Marie as Treasurer. The following Trustees were re-elected: Fiona Ranger, Phil Brown, Angela Winteridge, Margaret Bowman, John Bowman and Keith Turner. HGS can have a maximum of thirteen Trustees but our final two Trustees, making it

twelve for now, were newly-elected Sue Stannard and Terry Gilmour. All Officers and Trustees were warmly applauded by those present. There being no items under Any Other Business, the AGM was adjourned until next year. After presentations to three ‘retiring’ HGS Officers, we adjourned for a quite delicious cold buffet lunch, which many members ate outside together in the sunshine. (The presentations to the three ‘retiring’ Officers are set out in full as part of the Chairman’s Report on Page 59 of the September Journal.) Our day resumed after lunch with Angela Winteridge introducing us to a character some of us had met before. Jane Glennie came dressed in 20s/30s fashion and, in character, talked to us as ‘Violet’, who was a Stewardess in First Class on the Titanic’s maiden voyage. She gave a gripping account of “Violet’s Titanic Escape”, explaining in great detail what happened to her as she survived the liner’s sinking. The audience was enthralled, as was evidenced by the number and quality of members’ questions and expressed views afterwards. We then adjourned again for another ‘Comfort Break’ and a chance to obtain a hot or cold drink, plus one or two cakes from a fine selection provided by the Caterers. On our return to the Conference Hall it was time to hear from our third and final Speaker, Lucy Browne. Following our Titanic and Merchant Seafarers’ theme, Lucy’s presentation was entitled “Rock and Tempest,

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