Launch of Lincolnshire RBL Poppy Appeal

National World

The launch of the Lincolnshire Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal has taken place at the Lincolnshire Aviation Heritage Centre in East Kirkby.

Transcript

00:00Now the launch of the Lincolnshire Poppy Appeal at East Kirkby is always an emotional occasion

00:27but it seemed more so this year. I think the reason this year why it's been a bit more

00:34emotional, Andy Downie who I mentioned during the proceedings. He's one of the riders.

00:41Yeah, one of the riders, he's been involved so many times and he is such a special person

00:47because he used to ride on his motorbike with all music playing and flags flying and it's

00:52knocked us all back this week quite a lot so I think that and also the build-up to with

00:58Afghanistan now being 10 years and all the other events that's going on around the country

01:03and around the world it's more important that we do remember. Well as you say it's more

01:09important that we remember and all the work that your fundraisers are doing right now.

01:17You did mention the ones that could be here today because they're already collecting.

01:21That's right, yeah. I mean people don't realise what it takes to be a Poppy Appeal organiser.

01:26It's not just being out there collecting boxes but it's all the work in advance,

01:32all the work after, all the paperwork which is the wonderful thing of today and it's not

01:38just a question of you know and now we've got countless contactless machines and everything

01:44else is so many many difficult aspects. And the branches all around the county have been

01:50working really hard haven't they to get that that word out and I've been fortunate enough

01:58to to also be involved in the Poppy Appeal that's taking place in Skegness and all the

02:0430,000 poppies around the clock tower you must be very proud of that branch. I'm very proud of

02:12Skegness, I'm very proud of all our branches and all our people all over the county. There are

02:18many different things that's going on I mean I know for a fact I've been told today in Oldford

02:23they're having a 18-foot Lancaster outside the church made of poppies. So it just everybody's

02:33coming up with new ideas all the time to make sure that it happens and school children are

02:38getting involved and it's all age groups it's magical.

02:43Alfred you served in the Royal Navy during the Second World War now it's always lovely

02:52to see you back at the Poppy Appeal launch what does it mean to you to be here? What's

03:00it mean to you to be here? How do you feel? It's a great honour to be here. Josephine you're

03:12Alfred's daughter it is an important day isn't it for him to come to the Poppy Appeal launch?

03:18It's very important for him to remember all his comrades that he's been with and served

03:25with over the years and kept friends with. It's sad now that the Burma star has been laid to rest

03:33that he always was represented for the services out in the Pacific. He was on the sistership to

03:41the Duke, the Queen's husband he served on the sistership to my father during the war so they

03:49have fond memories of mixing together and it's very sad now that the generation he was with

03:55is moving on and you know my dad's 99 he'll be 100 in July and we make every special occasion

04:04for him as memorable as we can. Well it'll be even more special next year then when he's here

04:10and he's been 100. He will and his great-granddaughter's here today on parade with him

04:18so she's in the army cadets from Oldford

04:22so hopefully we're going to have some celebrations next July with everybody.

04:31We have a D-Day veteran Les Budding here. Les what does it mean to you to come to the Poppy

04:38Appeal launch at East Kirkby? Well I look forward to it every year it gets better every year

04:46do a brilliant job for our British Legion and it's so nice to see all these young cadets and

04:54the people who are still keeping up the traditions and looking out for their country that's what

05:01it's all about. I've just been speaking to one or two youngsters who are going in the forces

05:07now and it's nice to know that the generations coming through they're still interested in doing

05:17all these things. And I understand next year is a very special year for you as well because you're

05:25going to be a hundred years old. Yeah it's amazing I can't believe it myself at times

05:30and you know it's just the look of the draw I suppose and I'm grateful

05:39for getting through as on you know after all that we've been through over the years but

05:47that's life I suppose but some are lucky some are unlucky of course. My name is Chris Lake

05:54I am the standard bearer for Wayne Fleet and District Branch of the Royal British Legion.

05:58Now I understand you were in the last tour in Afghanistan and that was mentioned

06:04during today's ceremony. What does it mean to you to be part of the Lingardshire Poppy Appeal

06:12launch? This is the first time I've been to the Poppy launch itself I've seen it sort of from

06:17a distance over the years it's the first time I've been able to come along myself due to work

06:23commitments etc. It's very moving very emotional especially as this year is 10 years since the

06:34close down of Camp Bastion in Afghanistan which was mentioned during the service so it's very

06:41it's an emotional emotional day and it's a privilege to be a part.

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