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North Manchester Battlefield Society
Stuart Erskine
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HomeKevin HuntGerry O'MearaStuart ErskineLance KeeleySteve HoarThe Somme 2001Normandy 2001Scotland 2002Verdun 2003The Ardennes 2003Waterloo 2003Normandy 2004Operation Market Garden 2005The Battle of BritainVarusschlacht 2005Gibraltar 2005Ypres 2006Operation Dragoon 2007The Somme 2007Hadrian's Wall 2007The Ardennes 2008Mons & Cambrai 2009Verdun & St. Mihiel 2010 - Part OneVerdun & St. Mihiel 2010 - Part TwoThe Russian / Arctic ConvoysNormandy 2011 - Part OneNormandy 2011 - Part TwoNormandy 2011 - Part ThreeNormandy 2011 - Part FourNormandy 2011 - Part FiveNormandy 2011 - The Last DayNMBS Group ShotsUK War MemorialsManchester's MemorialsSalford's MemorialsHerbert W. PreenThe NMBS cookbookBeer ReviewSupermarketsReview PagePublicityLinks
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Stuart Erskine - King of the Death Slide!
Like Kevin, Stuart joined the NMBS in 2004 for the D-Day trip. Stuart brings much fun and humour to NMBS, and is game for a laugh (like sliding down the Death slide in a Rain and Wind swept Kiddies Playground in Ypres and ending up looking like a mud monster) proves that he is game for a laugh and a dare. Along with being a member of NMBS, Stuart has another link with remembering the fallen of both wars. Stuart plays Trombone with Middleton Band and each Remembrance Sunday this Band does a service at the local cenotaph, which is fitting to remember the fallen. This year (2011) Middleton band once again led the parade though the town to the Cenotaph in the recently renovated Memorial Gardens on Manchester Old Road. Crowds lined the street as the band treated them to favourites such as Westward Ho, Death or Glory and 1914. At 11 o’clock, the band’s principal cornet, Bryce Ford, played the last post perfectly to mark the start of the 2 minutes silence, which was respectfully observed with only the slight breeze rustling the leaves in the trees to be heard.As the wreaths were laid, the band played a specially arranged reverent hymn before leading the gathering with the hymns ‘O God our help in ages past’, ‘O valiant hearts’ and ‘All people that on earth do dwell.’ Stuart has won numerous awards for his skills as a fine trombonist. His Favourite test
pieces are Journey into Freedom, Spectrum, Facets of Glass and Music for a Festival.
Stuart is also a keen Star Wars fan. Similar to Steve, Gerry and Kevin, Stuart is a Big Manchester United
fan and like Kevin supports FC United of Manchester, the non-league team that was set up in wake of the Malcolm Glazier takeover
of Manchester United. Indeed FCUM hats have been seen from Ypres to The Somme.
Stuart is also very good at the online computer game "World of Warcraft" and has "a Shadow Priest at level 85" (lost on me, but I am sure gamers viewing this will be impressed). Stuart has enjoyed his trips away, although at time lady luck seems to desert him. He belted his head in Ypres getting out of the car, his room in The Somme was full of flies, In Mons he was bit to death by midges and continuing his disregard for his head in Normandy this year he cracked it on a bunker and broke a 5 euro fridge magnet. But he says that his memories of the trips include the old timer (in full regalia on a boiling hot day) retelling his story about taking Pegasus Bridge. Loads of people thanking him afterwards. Omaha Beach and The Gite we had in Ypres.
Stuart is proud of his Scottish roots and particularly is proud of the Scottish Regiments and
the Scottish Memorials he has seen. Stuart turns on the TV in the morning
for the NMBS and for 2011 was the NMBS driver and seeing it was his first time on the wrong side of the road, he drove very
well.
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Stuart Erskine