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