An association for all former employees of KLM Royal Dutch Airlines UK & Ireland or any subsidiary, whether still working or retired. To promote and maintain contact with friends and colleagues past and present.
MEMBERS’ NEWSLETTER Volume : 30 Issue: 1 - February 2015
Est: 1985 Fifty Members and Guests attended our annual Christmas Lunch. We all enjoyed a great 4 course meal at Bird Hills Golf Centre. Our Star prize, KLM European Tickets , was won by Hugh McLaughlin, (photo). Chairman, Mike Goodyear & Amanda Toll of Staff Travel presented Hugh with his prize Also in this issue.
Christmas Photos & more Day Trip News - Page 8 Updated addresses
30th Anniversary Lu
nch
See page 7 for deta i 2015 marks the 30th anniversary of RAUKI. A lot has happened over the years with holidays, day trips and special events. We are still maintaining about 90+ members but the sad fact is we are all getting older and since KLM started outsourcing services in the past 10-15 years, the lack of new members becomes inevitable. Sadly last year we lost Stan Saunders, our founder member. Also
another founder member, Harry Nodder was taken ill but has recovered and kindly given us his recollections of the start of RAUKI. We continue to look for new ways to provide interest for our members taking into account mobility. transportation and projected numbers. The most popular events are still the day trips but we are relying more heavily on outside support to
ls
sustain them from a cost point of view. With this in mind we have been trying to find a suitable event to mark our Thirtieth Anniversary from many suggestions, you will find the details on page 7. Finally we would like to wish Vera Engels and Allan Roberts a speedy recovery and thank them for ‘soldiering’ on to help us out.
Founded by Stan Saunders 18 October 1985
1986 1987 1988 1989 1990 1991 1992 1993 1994 1995 1996 1997 1998 1999 2000 2001 2002 2003 2004 2005 2006 2007 2008 2009 2010 2011 2012 2013 2014 2015
Est 1985 To the RAUKI Committee: Ladies and Gentlemen, Stan Saunders and RAUKI Stan and I retired from active (rarely inactive) service with KLM on 31st May 1984 and although Stan spent his last day in the Central Area and I in the Cargo Terminal, we managed to meet up for a chat. Stan voiced his concern that, apart from individual contact, there was no other means of knowing about other former colleagues and that he intended to do something about this. Naturally I offered to help if needed. A few months passed when I had a letter from Stan saying that KLM would offer him help, short of financial, in achieving his objective. The small group supporting Stan had a few set-backs mainly that, for various reasons, some had to drop out, but Stan's determination did not diminish. In September 1985 a letter was sent to all KLM retirees suggesting a meeting. Some 80+ replied saying they would attend such a meeting and as a result the "get together" took place at the Ibis Hotel, Northside on the 18th October 1985, when KLM RAUKI became an established fact. Not surprisingly Stan's Group was called upon to form the first RAUKI Committee and as a result the following were elected:
Vera Engels, Stan Saunders & Harry Nodder receive member appreciation on our 25th Anniversary
Eric Humphries Chairman Stan Saunders Secretary George Baker Treasurer Members Frank Engels Jack Teague And yours truly Harry Nodder With Stan's demise it seems, at the age of 94, I am the sole survivor of Stan's Group and of the first Committee. However, there is someone else deserving of mention. When Frank Engels joined Stan's Group, his wife, Vera, in common with wives of other members, became very supportive of our endeavours and even now, some 30 years later, she is still involved as an advisor to the Committee. Congratulations Vera and
thank you for your support those many years ago. To me, one item remains for discussion. How should Stan be remembered for his efforts? I suggest, beneath the RAUKI name, on mail shots and newsletters the following dedication should be included as a permanent feature: Founded by Stan Saunders - 18th October 1985" What do you think? I believe this would be a fitting tribute to all his hard work. I look forward to you decision. Many thanks, Yours sincerely and kind regards,
Harry Nodder
Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 2
Est 1985 Year of the OX First UK Mobile Phone Calls are made Mikhail Gorbachev becomes leader of Soviet Union Mohamed Al-Fayed buys Harrods Sinclair C5 started production in January but ceased in August due lack of sales
Five lionesses in Singapore Zoo put on birth control after population went from 2-16 Coca Cola changed its formula to ‘New Coke’ but had to change back to original in 3 months due lack of sales 30th Eurovision winners in Gothenburg were ’Bobbysocks’ from Norway Gary Kasparov beats Anatoly Karpov in World Chess Championship Lewis Hamilton, Keira Knightly, Wayne Rooney, Cary Mulligan, Leona Lewis & Beth Tweddle were born BT starts to phase out Red Telephone Boxes Schengen agreement signed RMS Titanic wreck located
Ford Granada released
We all know of Stan’s hard work in setting up RAUKI but we must not forget those, too numerous to mention individually, who have given time and effort over the years in positions on the committee to ensure the smooth running of our association between
MicroSoft Windows 1.0 released Riots in Brixton, Tottenham & Handsworth Birmingham Greenpeace ‘Rainbow Warrior’ sunk in Auckland harbour Minolta release world’s first single lens auto focus camera First episode of ‘Eastenders’ was broadcast Gibraltar - Spanish border re-opens after 16 years Greenland withdraws from EEC
1985-2015
Internet ‘Domain Name System’ created
And of course not forgetting the hundreds of members who have given support to RAUKI on our holidays, and Day trips and at our meetings and events over the years.
Miner’s Strike ends after 1 year
CONGRATULATIONS
FA Cup Manchester United 1 - 0 Everton World Cup, England qualifies for Mexico with 1-1 draw against Romania Last appearance of Roger Moore as James Bond in ‘View to Kill’ after 6 films Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 3
to us all on OUR 30th
Est 1985
DECEMBER 2014
CHRISTMAS LUNCH
ST ALBANS CHRISTMAS MARKET
Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 4
Est 1985 Extracts from The Wolkenridder Flyer - issued Monday, Wednesday & Friday If you would like to receive it regularly by e-mail. Send your e-mail address to
[email protected] and put ‘Wolken Flyer’ in the subject Milestone and New CEO - Pieter Elbers
KLM Launches Three New Scheduled Services
!9 December 2014
07 Jan 2015
95th
– We celebrated our anniversary on 7 October. A wonderful milestone in aviation history, which we can look back on with pride. The “95 Years” logo will continue to be displayed on some of our aircraft for the duration of the coming year. Shortly after our anniversary celebrations, Camiel Eurlings stepped down and I was appointed president & CEO. In previous bulletins, I extended a special thanks to Camiel for his efforts on behalf of KLM in the four years he was with us. Cargo Ships a Polar Bear 15 December 2014
AIR FRANCE KLM MARTINAIR Cargo once again transported a very special passenger last Wednesday. As part of a breeding programme, Milak the polar bear was transported from Aalborg Zoo in Denmark in a special lorry, accompanied by a vet, to KLM Cargo’s Animal Hotel at Schiphol. Milak was then put on a KLM flight to Montreal and her new home at Zoo Sauvage in Montreal.
“Hofplein” Arrives at Schiphol 08 December 2014
KLM’s fifth new Airbus-330 arrived at Schiphol last Thursday. This is the last aircraft of this type that KLM will take delivery of for the time being. The new aircraft’s KLM fleet registration code is PH-AKF, its name is “Hofplein – Rotterdam”.
Home Check-In for Passenger Baggage 03 December 2014
“Home-printed bag tag”, the option of checking in your baggage directly while checking in online is now available at an increasing number of outstations. Passengers can save time by printing a bag tag in advance and handing in their baggage directly at a baggage drop-off
point.
On commencement of its summer schedule on 18 May, KLM will introduce scheduled services to the three cities of Belfast (Northern Ireland), Krakow (Poland) and Montpellier (France). KLM President & CEO Pieter Elbers: “Our aim is to develop our medium-haul network on a continuous basis. By opening these three new routes, we can offer more destinations to our customers while further expanding the hub function of Amsterdam.” Shop@KLM for Flights To and From Amsterdam 07 Jen 2015
KLM passengers ordering tax-free products via KLM’s web shop (Shop@KLM) can now choose whether to receive their order on the outbound or homebound leg of their intercontinental flight. This was previously only possible for flights departing from Amsterdam; the service now includes flights to Amsterdam. Even customers who are not flying can order products via shop.klm.com. This is because KLM products ordered via the web shop – including model aircraft, Miffy CAs or telephone cases – can also be delivered to home addresses. KLM Cityhopper Goes Fully Digital 09 Jan 2015 KLC this week began issuing the iPad Air to all its cabin crew. Previously, senior cabin attendants (SCAs) were issued an iPad 4 as part of the iPadOnBoard project, which was rolled out in mid-2013. Working in collaboration with KLM Procurement, Mobile4crew, KLM Information Services and Cabin Flight Support, this new rollout will be completed within four weeks. KLC cockpits (Embraer and Fokker fleets) already went paperless in mid-2014. This makes KLC the first European operating airline that has gone fully digital through innovation and simplification. This is fully in line with the Perform 2020 programme to cut costs and, at the same time, raise customer satisfaction to higher levels. Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 5
Est 1985
AGM NOTICE IS HEREBY GIVEN FOR THE AGM TO BE HELD AS FOLLOWS:
2014 Committee Chairman: Mike Goodyear
KLM RAUKI 29th ANNUAL GENERAL MEETING Bird Hills Golf Centre. WEDNESDAY 18 March 2015 - 1130h
V-Chair/webmaster: John long
AGENDA ****************** 1. Apologies for Absence 2. Approval of 2014 AGM minutes / matters arising 3. Chairman’s Report 4. Reports :- Secretary, Treasurer, Pensions, Webmaster, ISA regulations and Social Activities. 5. Proposals for Committee Positions & Election of Committee for 2015 - 2016. 6. Appointment of Examiner for 2015 7. Members correspondence and questions 8. Any other business - Summer Event to be discussed 9. Next Events: Day trip 20 May and 30th Anniversary Lunch, Saturday 18 July 10. Next members meeting - Wednesday 23 September
Secretary: vacant-interested? Treasurer: Allan Roberts Pension: David Barnes ISA: Les Drake Travel: Glenys Jones Others: Terry Brennan, Irene McKeeman, Olwen Long, Barbara Drake, Bill Kent, Gillian Frackelton, Mary Brennan.
AGM FOLLOWED BY LUNCH £8.50 - advanced booking required. The committee are willing to carry on in their respective positions unless someone else wishes to step in and volunteer for a specific position. David Barnes has indicated he would give way to younger person if one came forward. We still need a Secretary! It has been suggested that people have been reluctant to volunteer because they feel they will be in the position for life. The committee confirms this is NOT the case and is happy for anyone to attend the committee meetings and participate in the discussions if they wish. Would you like to attend? Do you have any Proposals for the committee? Our next Committee gathering is on Wednesday 04 March. Have any questions or comments you would like to be discussed at the AGM? Please send them by e-mail to:
[email protected] or Complete the ‘Contact Us’ form on our web site - http://www.klm-rauk.co.uk or by letter to; Chairman, RAUKI, c/o Plesman House, Cains Lane, Bedfont, TW14 9R
Please ensure these reach him no later than 04 March please. Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 6
Est 1985
We cordially invite members to join us for a Lunch Cruise on the River Thames on Saturday 18 July . The boat will board at 11.30 and depart Tower Pier (next to the Tower of London) at 11.45. Returning at 13.30. Lunch will be served at your table and consists of two courses followed by Tea/coffee. Due to catering constraints your choice is limited to Chicken or Veggie (see menu below). There is bar service and commentary throughout the trip and the upper deck is available for viewing at any time. Please Note - The boat is quite large and seats 100 for lunch on the lower deck. NO non-dining guests are permitted so there is plenty of room and it is very relaxed. The trip goes upstream just past the Houses of Parliament then downstream to about Greenwich before returning to Tower Pier. The total trip time is about 1hr 45m. So this allows plenty of time to get to and from Central London outside rush hour. Traditionally, our main support for meetings and events comes from members living in the West of London and outside London also to the West. We are hoping that the central location for this event will make it easier for members living in other areas to join us by train etc.. Many of our London members will be able to join us using their ‘Freedom Passes’ on public transport. As discussed at Committee and Member meetings in 2014, money from our account will be used to subsidise the rest of the costs of the day including a small coach for those living West, outside London if numbers warrant. We are limiting booking to paid up 2015 members and spouse/partner OR 1 guest. So if you receive this Newsletter (by mail or electronically) please join us. The total cost will be £10 per person. We would like to know ASAP if you are interested. Places have to be reserved and paid in Advance. In order not to swamp Allan with extra work, Glenys Jones has kindly offered to organise the Lunch with help from Olwen Long. Please let Glenys or Olwen know if you want to join us,by phone
Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 7
Est 1985 CONTENTS Page 2: Starting RAUKI
Member Address Updates. IN MEMBER EDITION ONLY
Page 3: Other 1985 Events Page 4: Christmas Photos Page 5: Wolkenridder News Page 6: Notification of AGM Page 7: 30 Anniversary Lunch Page 8: Association News ATTACHMENTS AGM Lunch Booking Form Day Trip Booking Form 30th Anniversary Booking Form
------------------------------2015 Dates
In Memoriam Inder (Samy) Sharma passed away Sunday 18 January 2015. Finally he is no longer suffering and is at peace. If anyone wishes to contact me? I can be reached at
[email protected] or 02087590632 kind regards, Ann Sharma.
Comm Mtg: Wed 04 march
Day Trip to LEEDS CASTLE, Kent
AGM: Wed 18 March
Wednesday 20 May 2015 £29 pp inc coach + gratuity and entrance ticket to Castle & Grounds.
Newsletter Issue 2: May Day Trip- Leeds Castle Wed 20 May Committee Mtg. Wed 09 July 30th Anniversary Lunch SATURDAY 18 July Newsletter Issue 3: August Committee Mtg Wed 09 Sep Day Trip - tba Autumn Members meeting Wed 23 Sep Newsletter Issue 4: Novenber Committee Mtg Wed 25 Nov. Christmas Lunch: Wednesday 09 December
—-----------------------All meetings at:
Approx 09.15 from Iver Heath and 09.45 from Old Windsor arriving 11.00 Leeds Castle and departing 16.00 Leeds Castle has been a Norman stronghold; the private property of six of England’s medieval queens; a palace used by Henry VIII and his first wife Catherine of Aragon; a Jacobean country house; a Georgian mansion; an elegant early 20th century retreat for the influential and famous; and in the 21st century, it has become one of the most visited historic buildings in Britain. Other Attractions: include; Maze & Underground Grotto, Dog Collar Museum, Wood garden, Culpeper Garden and Lady Baillee Garden. Black Swan Ferry Boat (across lake to Maze etc). £1 e/w A Land Train takes visitors from the entrance to the Castle ; cost is 50p e/w. Wheelchairs are available free of charge, subject to availability. A complimentary mobility bus runs throughout the day (free) There is a Restaurant & cafe in the Grounds also Picnic areas if you wish to take your own food. Interested? Complete the booking form (attached) or contact Glenys on
[email protected] Social Contact
Don’t forget that John Connolly has volunteered to be available to any member Bird Hills Golf Centre, Drift Road, who may fall ill, encounter problems, feel ‘life is ganging up on them’ or just simply Hawthorn Hill, Nr Maidenhead, want to talk to someone. Contact him at either; SL6 3ST tel: 01628 771030
[email protected] www.birdhills.co.uk Volume: 30 Issue:1 - February 2015 - page 8
