'In the Wake of the Cockleshell Heroes'
Talk
by speakers
Roger and Sandra Downton
for
Clubs, Organisations, Ex-service associations, etc.
Their voyage and the history of Operation Frankton lightheartedly and eloquently presented by
the engaging couple
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A thrilling talk by a daring couple, as featured on BBC TV. This is the true wartime story of a courageous World War II attack by canoe on enemy shipping in the docks of Bordeaux, and is cleverly interwoven with the present day escapade by Roger and Sandra Downton. Armed with very little canoeing experience and a waterproof navigation chart, they survived the many mood swings of the giant, rapid flowing waters of the River Gironde. They paddled the seventy five mile exact course of this dangerous mission, camping rough on the banks of the muddy river. Their nostalgic, engaging presentation creates a dramatic, absorbing and respectfully light-hearted account of their challenging canoe adventure paddling in the wake of the legendary Cockleshell Heroes. Their talk is punctuated with unpredictable and amusing scenarios; your imagination will be fired as you share their chilling and humorous moments.
Roger Downton served with the Royal Green Jackets before embarking upon a career in acting and stand-up comedy. He later formed his own film company at Shepperton Studios and for six years performed his unique cabaret act aboard world cruise liners before meeting his future wife Sandra, a dance teacher and highly acclaimed Belly Dancer. They are both seasoned performers and members of both British Equity and The Speakers Agency.
During Roger’s formative years he was extremely interested and enthusiastic about the Cockleshell Heroes of World War II Operation Frankton. Combined with Sandra’s subsequent fascination with the subject, they unanimously decided to accept the challenge, and make the same gruelling and perilous journey by canoe down the giant flowing River Gironde to the docks at Bordeaux as their personal tribute to those brave men. |
They have written a book about their adventure entitled
“In War Heroes Wake”
Foreword by Bernard Cornwell. ISBN 0-9550166-0-6
Date Sheet
2010
Sunday
31 January 2010
11.00am Heavenly Twins and Ocean Winds Owners Association, Wessex Hotel, Bournemouth
Wednesday
03 February 2010
12.30pm Ferndown Probus Club Luncheon, Dudsbury Golf Club
Tuesday
09 February 2010
7.30pm Mere Historical Society, The Grove Buildings, Mere, Wiltshire
Wednesday
10 February 2010
8.00pm Canford & Merley W.I., Merley Community Centre, Harrier Drive, Wimborne
Monday
22 February 2010
Sainsbury Veterans, United Reformed Church Hall, Iford
Wednesday
24 February 2010
10.15am Verwood Stroke Club, Lake Road Surgery
Thursday
25 February 2010
2.00pm National Grid UK Retired Employees, Southampton Novotel Hotel, West Quay Road
Tuesday
02 March 2010
8.00pm Northampton Offshore Cruising Association
Wednesday
03 March 2010
7.30pm Blackmoor & Whitehill W.I., Hampshire
Thursday
15 April 2010
8.00pm National Coastal Station, Castle Cove Sailing Club, Weymouth
Tuesday
20 April 2010
11.00am Past Rotarians & Associates Club of the New Forest & District, South Lawns Hotel, Milford-on-Sea
Thursday
22 April 2010
2.00pm Ems Valley U3A, Parish Hall, Church Path, Emsworth
Tuesday
04 May 2010
Bear Cross Townswomen's Guild, Bearwood Community Centre, King John Avenue
Monday
10 May 2010
2pm NHS Retirement Group, United Reformed Church, Ropley Road, Iford
Tuesday
11 May 2010
10.30am Twynham Probus Club, Shorefields Country Park, Milford on Sea
Wednesday
19 May 2010
10.00am U3A Romsey, Cross Field Hall, Broadwater Road, Romsey
Thursday
20 May 2010
2.00pm Hayling Island U3A, Hayling Community Centre
Tuesday
25 May 2010
2.00pm Bransgore Friendship Club, Village Hall
Thursday
27 May 2010
10.30am Bournemouth Probus 2, The Ocean Hotel, Overcliff Drive
Tuesday
15 June 2010
2.00pm The Whistle Stop Club, West Moors Memorial Hall, Station Road
Monday
09 August 2010
8.00pm Moose International, Poole Moose, Joliffe Road
Monday
23 August 2010
2.15pm Probus Ladies Club of Ascot, The Mill Ride Golf Club
Thursday
09 September 2010
7.45pm St John's Fellowship Group, St John's Church Hall, Macauley Road, Broadstone, Dorset
Wednesday
15 September 2010
2.00pm Ferndown Brendoncare, St Mary's Church Hall, Church Road
Tuesday
21 September 2010
11.00am The Probus Club of Highcliffe-on-Sea, Hoburne Naish Holiday Park, Christchurch Road, New Milton, BH25 7RE
Tuesday
02 November 2010
2.00pm Nursling Rownham's District Retired Men, Southampton
Thursday
11 November 2010
8.00pm Parkstone Evening Townswomen's Guild, St Joseph's Church Hall, Bournemouth Road
Thursday
11 November 2010
2.00pm Brendoncare Club Mudeford
Monday
15 November 2010
2.00pm The Happy Monday Club, St Andrew's Church Centre, Milhams Road, Kinson
Tuesday
16 November 2010
2.00pm Andover U3A, Fairground Hall, Weyhill
Wednesday
17 November 2010
8.00pm Merley Evening Townswomen's Guild, Merley Community Centre, Harrier Drive
Monday
22 November 2010
8.00pm Weymouth Manor Townswomen's Guild, United Reformed Church Hall, Spa Road
Tuesday
23 November 2010
8.00pm Townswomen's Guild Broadstone Evening, War Memorial Hall, Tudor Road
Thursday
25 November 2010
10.30am Probus Club 2 of Purbeck Luncheon, The Pines Hotel, Swanage
2011
Wednesday
12 January 2011
2.30pm Boots Retirement Association, Miramar Hotel, East Cliff, Bournemouth
Tuesday
11 October 2011
10.30am The Probus Club of Bransgore, Burley Manor Hotel
Monday
17 October 2011
10.45am Lymington & District Probus Club Luncheon, Elmers Court Country Club
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November 2009
Dear Roger and Sandra
Many thanks coming to talk to us last Thursday evening. Without exception your talk was enjoyed and well received particularly the way in which you presented and interleaved the past with your own journey. Whilst some of our members have cruised fairly widely and encountered bad weather, over the years, I don't think many, if any, would have undertaken canoing up the Gironde Estuary ( summer or not! ). Many thanks and all the best to you both.
Brian Harris
Wessex Cruising Association |
May 2009
Dear Roger and Sandra Downton
Thank you so much for your excellent talk. Every one of our members to whom I have spoken since has made very complimentary remarks about your very good and fascinating presentation. We all admire your bravery and of course the great courage of the original Cockleshell Heroes.
I hope you enjoyed your visit to Emsworth and District U3A, we certainly appreciated your coming to share your knowledge and experiences with us.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Lynn Cowell
Emsworth and District U3A |
April 2009
Dear Mr and Mrs Downton
Thank you so much for coming to our Club meeting on Wednesday last, so soon after your return from France and giving us the best talk we have ever heard. The passion and respect you feel for the brave men who carried out the operation in 1942 was obvious and I loved the way you each told the separate stories - theirs and yours. It was an inspirational subject and you brought it to life for us. There was no danger of anyone talking during your presentation! My son-in-law was so interested to hear about your story that he would like to buy the book.
On behalf of our members, I wish you every success in future presentations and any further adventures you may have in mind.
With kind regards and many, many thanks for a truly lovely evening.
Yours sincerely
Mrs Valerie R Foice
Greenfingers Leisure Club, Poole |
December 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
Very many thanks for last night's fascinating lecture. I particularly enjoyed the way you wove your adventure into the acount of the heroes' expedition. I learnt a great deal, as I am sure, did many other people. It was a memorable members' night.
With all good wishes.
Johanna Turner
Lecture Secretary
Sherborne Historical Society |
September 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
On behalf of our Association I would thank you both most sincerely for the very interesting talk you gave us at West Moors on Monday afternoon. I know I speak for all those attending in saying that the subject was a first in that I am sure none of our members have canoed up two rivers for five days, sometimes for seven hours at a stretch, their limit probably having been thirty minutes on the local boating lake.
Planning and organisation was clearly the key to your success and I am sure we all recognised the ability and courage you both obviously have. In all it was an extremely enjoyable afternoon and I hope that in time to come it might be possible to book you to hear another of your talks.
Brian Tanner
Speaker Secretary, East Dorset National Trust Association
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August 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
I can still feel that German guard's torchlight shining down on me, so
vividly did you describe those closing moments of the Cockleshell
Heroes epic mission during the war. It really does bring home to people of our age, who would have been school children at the time, how much we all owe to our parents and their generation.
How courageous of you both to want to replicate their voyage and how nail biting some of your own adventures were, as you both so admirably, humourously yet modestly described to us last Thursday.
I know that I speak on behalf of all our members in passing on our very grateful thanks to both of you for such an exciting presentation, with well thought out back up material and photographs. Probus members are fortunate in being of an age that can relate to presentations of a historical nature.
Again, very many thanks for your presentation and my best wishes.
Lt Col MRC Weiner
Speaker's Secretary, Stour Valley Probus |
May 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
Thank you very much for your very interesting and entertaining
presentation at our meeting on Tuesday. I am sure you are well aware of how much it was appreciated by our members and visitors as a very welcome addition to our programme.
A report of the meeting will be sent to the Bridport News and another will be included in our Newsletter for members.
Once again many thanks for a very enjoyable afternoon.
Roland S Moss, Programme Organiser
Bridport History Society
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May 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
Thank you very much for coming to give us such an interesting talk. It was greatly enjoyed by our members. Your talk certainly brought the tale of the Cockleshell Heroes to life and your adventures were equally exciting.
Once again, thank you very much for coming to speak to us.
Kate Roberts
Speaker Secretary, U3A Monks Brook
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February 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
Many, many thanks for the fantastic talk you gave to us on Tuesday. How very nice to meet you both and to hear your talk "In the Wake of the Cockleshell Heroes", so cleverly interwoven with the journey of the real Cockleshell Heroes. You certainly held the attention of all of our members. It is quite difficult to find a subject that pleases and interests everyone but my goodness you did it splendidly on this occasion. I heard nothing but praise for you both and thank you once again for entertaining us so well.
Yours
Jackie Burling
Torbay Womens Luncheon Club |
February 2008
Dear Roger and Sandra
On behalf of everyone in Poole U3A, I would like to thank you both for a splendid presentation, novel, stimulating and most enjoyable.
Thanks again.
Tony Pawley
Poole U3A |
October 2007
Dear Roger and Sandra
I must thank you for your recent presentation to Portsmouth U3A. Everyone agreed that it was a very interesting and gripping account of your daring and oftern hazardous tribute to the galant heroes who went before you. You really 'did us proud' too, bringing along maps, photographs and artefacts which ably illustrated your talk, and gave us a greater insight to 'what went on' in both journeys - indeed the format of your talk, employed by your two intrepid selves, added a 'keener edge' to the narration.
On behalf of Portsmouth U3A, very many thanks for your visit to us.
With kind regards
Jean Poar, Speakers Secretary, Portsmouth U3A
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October 2007
Dear Roger and Sandra
I write to thank you both once again for your splendid talk and presentation at our lunch on Wednesday.
I know the ladies thoroughloy enjoyed hearing of your exploits, and relating it to the conditions and circumstances in which the Cockleshell Heroes undertook their daring raid brought a greater understanding of what they endured and achieved. Yours was a most fitting tribute.
I hope you will have many more safe and happy adventures in 'Sardine'.
Yours sincerely
Blenda Hailes
Speakers Secretary, Parkstone Yacht Club Ladies Luncheon |
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October 2006
Dear Roger and Sandra
This is a huge ‘thank you' for the wonderful evening you spent with our W.I. on the 24th . Your story had us all spellbound. I hope you don't mind, but I was asked for your details by our President's husband as he has some connection with a French organisation whom he thought would like to hear about your journey. Thank you both again, it was lovely to meet you.
Yours sincerely
Sheila Woodman
Programme Secretary. Verwood WI |
July 2006
Dear Roger and Sandra
Might I kindly refer to our Rotary Club last Wednesday and add my personal thanks to those that were expressed by Rotarian Keith in his formal Vote of Thanks on the evening.
The feedback I have received from Club Members has been very positive, and it is clearly evident that you are, not only very knowledgeable on your subject, but also extremely enthusiastic about it!
I do trust that you both enjoyed the evening with us, as we valued your company.
Warmest regards,
John Bartholomew
President-Elect (Rotary Club of Ferndown) |
December 2005
Dear Roger and Sandra,
We so much enjoyed your presentation on Saturday and are full of admiration for your exploit - thank you for coming to talk to us at our Coffee Morning.
Hazel Hughes, Poole Arts Association
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