Col Catherine Harrison, Commandant, Greater Manchester ACF
On Sat 21 Aug 21, Greater Manchester ACF was delighted to be able to welcome back our former Commandant Col Dr Paul Irvine, and his wife Caroline, to say our final farewell.
Whilst Col Paul handed over command of the County, via Zoom, to Col Catherine back in Dec 20, this was the first time an in-person presentation could be made.
A short presentation of photos and videos of his time as Commandant started the proceedings, followed by a number of gifts including a statuette of a cadet on expedition and a memories book with a collection of photos and messages from Cadet Force Adult Volunteers and Permanent Support Staff. Col Paul was also presented with his medal and certificate from the Guinness Book of Records for being part of the ACF's Mental Health Awareness World Record.
Col Paul thanked the whole of Greater Manchester ACF for their support to him and made special mention to our Honorary Colonel Sharman Birtles DL, JP. The final part of the presentation was the unveiling of the Col Irvine Orchard. The brainchild of Maj Rob MacDonald, OC No 5 (Anzio) Company, the orchard currently consists of Greengage, Pear and Apple Trees and will be a lasting legacy to Col Paul's spirit of nurturing and growth.
Thank you for the hard work of Major Mick Scollick, SMI Neil Nelson and other staff from the Permanent Staff Team who and prepared the plaque the day prior to the presentation and set up the dining room for Col Paul, guests and staff who were able to attend.
