Hungerford Arcade held its annual Poppy Appeal with the much loved Vintage Military Vehicles. This year we were honoured to have the Wessex Rangers Brigade Hungerford and the Hungerford Girl Guides join up with the military vehicles helping to raise much needed funds for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal.
First things first. A good cook-up at the mobile NAAFI
It was a beautiful sunny Sunday morning at about 9.00 am when the military vehicles started to arrive outside the Arcade. The vehicles looked stunning in the sunlight and their owners wearing big wide smiles on their faces as they lined up in their zones. This year there were 17 vehicles which made for a very impressive sight.
The Wessex Rangers and Girl Guides armed with their buckets, tins and boxes of poppies worked very hard all day and enjoyed every minute of it. The highlight for them was being taken for rides in some of the military vehicles. You could feel their excitement.
What struck everyone was how enthusiastic and happy these young people were at being involved in this very important day. They understood what the poppy stood for and why it was important to have this Appeal. They mixed and chatted with everyone and couldn’t stop smiling. It was a joy to see.
Gunner Rita – Doing my bit!
Hungerford Arcade Stallholder Daniel Evans (Dan) couldn’t resist going for a ride with the Wessex Rangers and Girl Guides in a vintage military vehicle
Hungerford Arcade Stallholder, Gary Crook who along with his wife, June organised all the Military Vehicles. Gary is here with a new addition to the family – a lightweight Landrover that can be stripped down and slung under a helicopter. (This was before Chinooks)
I do have a lot more photographs and the names of the Military Vehicle owners, Wessex Rangers and Girl Guides but unfortunately, I have been home with the flu since Sunday and have left my notebook at the Arcade. I will add the names and more photographs when I get back.
In the meantime, I and everyone at Hungerford Arcade would like to thank Gary and June Crook for once again organising all the vintage military vehicles. The owners for bringing their wonderful vehicles at their own expense and raising lots of money for the poppy Appeal.
Thank you to Michelle Tallak, Unit Commander of the Hungerford Wessex Rangers Brigade and Zoe Hopkins for the Girl Guides for all the hard work carried out by the Wessex Rangers Brigade and the Girl Guides who really go into the spirit of the day and raised lots of money in the process.
Thank you to Di Loft and her husband of the Royal British Legion for supplying the wreaths for the vehicles the buckets, collection tins and all the poppies.
Rita
