Tracy's Royal Garden Party invite

National World

Skegness Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal organiser Tracy Turner has been invited to the Royal Garden Party in May in recognition of the branch's Remembrance poppy display around the Clock Tower, which became a community project and attracted worldwide attention.

Transcript

00:00Skipless Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal organiser Tracy Turner has described her invitation

00:06to the Royal Garden Party as a once-in-a-lifetime honour. Here she tells us more.

00:11Tracy, you must be really excited to be going to the palace.

00:16Super excited to have been invited to the palace. Buckingham Palace.

00:23Absolutely. I mean, had you any idea that somebody had nominated you?

00:28No, not at all. I had a phone call a week ago today and it was the office of the Lincoln deputy or vice lord lieutenant.

00:43From their office?

00:45From their office. And she went, oh, we were just wondering if you'd like to go to a garden party.

00:50I went, you made that sound like a question. Thank you very much.

00:55Did they explain why you'd been invited?

00:59They didn't, but it's all to do with the community project.

01:04We were very fortunate that the deputy vice lieutenant did actually come to the Hildred Centre.

01:13It's the first time I've kind of crossed work with my Legion work and he'd come to work on another mat

01:18and I went, while you're here, you need to come and see what Skegness is doing.

01:21And we took him down and he was so impressed. And I had him sat on the chair.

01:25I was going to ask you that. Did you manage to get him in the chair?

01:29I thought, you know what, not even I haven't got a brass snake, but yeah, he sat there with a poppy on there.

01:38So I'm putting two and two together, coming up with four, but it is absolutely phenomenal.

01:46More for the fact that what we've done in Skegness has been recognised.

01:51As you know, I do have a large mouth. I'm a mouth piece, the driver.

01:56But if it hadn't been for the community, I can only ask people to do something.

02:00If they didn't all come together, we wouldn't do it.

02:03So I will be there. I will take photos, footage, as much as I can.

02:08And it will be on behalf of, I'll just bring everybody with me just fine.

02:13Because you've always spoken about the support that you've got from your other Legion members,

02:19as well as members of the public, to do that magnificent display around the clock tower.

02:25It was amazing. And I'd have loved for Louise, secretary, we all know Louise, partner in crime.

02:33But Louise, last year, for people like us, once you get an invite to the palace,

02:38it is literally a once in a lifetime thing. You can't go again.

02:42And unfortunately, or not unfortunately, because she's already done it,

02:46Louise went last year under, she had an award at work, so she went to the palace last year.

02:52So because of that, she can't come this year.

02:55So I am taking Kevin, who is our chairman and our standard bearer.

03:02And also veteran. So we are going to go and fly the flag for Skegness,

03:07the community and everything that we did and will do this year.

03:13Louise and Irishie, and next year.

03:16All right. OK, you're going to get them worried already.

03:25Yeah, we'll look forward to seeing the pictures.

03:27Yes, yes. It'll be nice. Apparently I need comfy shoes.

03:31It'll be nice. It'll be a long day, but I am very excited.

03:35I don't expect to be anywhere in the vicinity of the royals at all or probably see them.

03:40I don't expect to talk to them, but just to be there, the atmosphere, enjoy the gardens.

03:46And yeah, it's going to be really good.

03:49And I've been told I've got to be on my best disbehaviour.

03:51So I need to start practising because I'm not good at good behaviour.

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