History of NWDA

It was the end of Sept 1970 at the BDA Feast of lanterns, I was approached by Mr Alf Dempster with the offer to join 5 others to form a new DA. (BDA at that time was getting very large). It required 6 members to form a new section, the six being Mr Alf Dempstrer, Mr Fred Sharpe, Mrs Sheila Sharpe, Mrs Doreen Taylor, Mr Colin Ball, and myself Jim Oliver.

We held our first meeting on October 13th 1970 the name we chose was North Warwickshire section of BDA shortly after MR Peter Taylor was asked to join the committee.

“To give you a laugh, the fees were
adults 15np (new penny) one night and 20np two nights, CCY 7np one night, 2np two nights.
children 2np one night and 5np two nights”

In January 1971 we applied to Central Counties Region requestion DA status, the letter was signed by all of the committee. After the first weekend meet we revised the fees as it was very complicated,it then became

“20np for 2 nights, 30np for 1 night, CCY 10np two nights and 7np one night.”

We were camping at Much Wenlock, Shropshire on May 30th 1971 when Mr Alf Dempster (Chairman) announced we were now “North Warwickshire DA” also at this time Mr Ron Smith was asked to join the committee.

It was arranged to hold the inaugural meet at Combrook in August 1971. The DA’s first holiday meet was held at Criccieth in Wales in 1971 followed by many others, including of course the Isle of Wight, which has been running for 45 years now. We then went on to run many big meets such as The Medieval Meet, including a twelve course banquet. The Turkey Trot, Christmas dinner, Central Counties were entertaining a large group of Canadians, we were all dressed in Elizabethan costumes (The Canadian consul came also and decided to camp with us for some years afterwards). Then came the big one. DODGE CITY. The DA is very well know throughout the club for running many wonderful meets and after 50 years we hope the DA runs many more.