Local Resident Honoured At House of Lords Dinner

Bill White is an instrumental figure in the 1805 Club

Image courtesy of Phil Mc Carthy Photography (Bill is seated second from right, opposite his wife Sheila and next to daughter Caroline with former Admiral of the Fleet, Admiral Lord Boyce)

Grove Park resident Bill White was the guest of honour at a gala dinner in the House of Lords Dining Hall, Westminster Palace, for his work in the 1805 Club. The dinner was hosted by the former Admiral of the Fleet, Lord Boyce. The President of the 1805 Club, Admiral Sir Jonathon Band, also attended.

Bill was accompanied by his wife Sheila, and his daughter Caroline, who is deputy editor of Boat International magazine.

Bill is congratulated on his achievement

Former Naval Officer Bill, who is vice-chairman of the 1805 Club, was being honoured for his work in securing a LIBOR grant of nearly £500,000 which has enabled the Club to further six major naval historical projects. including the conservation of Lord Nelson's marriage certificate in the island of Nevis in the West Indies, the restoration of the chapel in the Old Royal Naval Hospital in Minorca, and the reactivation of the Trafalgar Way from Falmouth to the Admiralty in London, of which he was the main driver in 2005.

The 1805 Club was founded in 1990 to care for the memorials of the Georgian sailing navy. They are a vital yet often neglected part of Britain's naval heritage. No other organisation is dedicated to their preservation. The Club promotes research into the Royal Navy of the Georgian period, and especially of Vice Admiral Lord Nelson. It also organizes cultural and historical events. 1805 originates from the year of the Battle of Trafalgar, 21 October 1805.

Such is the interest in Lord Nelson and Trafalgar that a piece of the Trafalgar Flag recently sold at Sotheby's for £ 297,000 pounds. HMS Victory, Nelson's flagship, is now located at Portsmouth Historic Dockyard. Lord Nelson perished in the Battle of Trafalgar on HMS Victory.

You can find out more about the 1805 Club and its work on the website and Facebook page.

February 9, 2018