National Poppy Appeal launch - 22 Oct 2009

[graemek]

Oct 22, 2009 9:33:24 GMT Jillian said:

Goodness me, Simon Brown (the young soldier above) must have had someone looking over him. His injury was caused by a bullet wound to the face. An inch or so in a different direction and things could have turned out very differently. What a brave man.

Hayley spoke very well and it's such a good cause she's involved in. She also looks very pretty in her black dress.

Thanks Spiderman & Jillian for the great coverage.

Hayley does a perfect job of tasteful promotion as (shudder) does the poor young soldier who (unusually) cheated death by who knows how little. And whose life is changed permanently as a result.
The very word sniper makes me feel ill...they never really miss.

Graeme

[BenCMitchell]

Oct 22, 2009 9:33:24 GMT Jillian said:

Goodness me, Simon Brown (the young soldier above) must have had someone looking over him. His injury was caused by a bullet wound to the face. An inch or so in a different direction and things could have turned out very differently. What a brave man.

Hayley spoke very well and it's such a good cause she's involved in. She also looks very pretty in her black dress.

I agree with you Jillian about Simon having someone watching over him. To actually have a bullet, not just any bullet, but a sniper bullet, go through his face (pretty graphic description - sorry!) and survive is an absolute miracle! To suffer this kind of injury and to come out of it (through surgery and recovery) with minimal facial scarring is unbelievable! Its amazing how he has recovered and is carrying on.

[Sandy Wilderness Girl]

Hi...like I had to watch this interview hey.....just to see Hayley on TV,,,,but wow she gives so much time to worthwhile causes hey,,,,,,what a lovely guy...and what a terrible thing to happen hey....omg war is so bad hey....its easy to sit back and forget about things like this...im so glad Hayley does things to remind us hey of the brave people that go out and give their lives in service to others hey....theres a lot of unsung hero's hey....
Sandyxxx

[Martin]

Hi All
Just back from Horse Guards Parade where we (Richard, Grant & Gordon) watched Hayley and Vera Lynn launch the Poppy Appeal.

Hayley was very elegant in her new outfit and hat and sang "We'll Meet Again" as part of the formalities.

We were able to speak to Hayley, and Grant will post a full report tonight together with the very best of his 80+ photos!

Martin

[Dave]

Oct 22, 2009 12:40:11 GMT Martin said:

Hi All
Just back from Horse Guards Parade where we (Richard, Grant & Gordon) watched Hayley and Vera Lynn launch the Poppy Appeal.

Hayley was very elegant in her new outfit and hat and sang "We'll Meet Again" as part of the formalities.

We were able to speak to Hayley, and Grant will post a full report tonight together with the very best of his 80+ photos!

Martin

Thanks Martin, I look forward to the reports and photos later today!

As I suggested yesterday, I decided that I could be of more use by staying home to see and record what was on TV - and I'm delighted to see that GMTV uploaded this morning's interview to their YouTube channel so quickly! It has saved me a job too, as I now don't have to do anything with my recording! i.postimg.cc/9fYxy370/smilie-big-grin.gif

However, I also recorded all the lunchtime news channels and I was delighted to see Hayley's performance of "We'll Meet Again" with Dame Vera Lynn, broadcast 'live' and complete by the BBC News channel at about 12:40 pm - well done to the BBC! They also had an interview with Dame Vera shortly afterwards; she is remarkably articulate not only for her age of 92 but for someone of any age and I will upload the interview later, but for the moment, you'll have to make do with Hayley's 'live' performance on our YouTube channel...

We'll Meet Again - Hayley Westenra (with Dame Vera Lynn)

The video quality will improve when YouTube has finished processing it (usually within half an hour)

Cheers, Dave

[jimg]

Thank you Dave, loved that.

[Richard]

Thanks for posting the video so quickly, Dave.

The Poppy Appeal launch only took about fifteen minutes, but it was a very moving event. Hayley's rendition of 'We'll Meet Again' was certainly the highlight for me, and I know Grant has some superb photographs to share later. Hayley was clearly pleased to see us, and she made time to talk to us, even though the press and TV were there in force.

Here's a short video of Dame Vera Lynn from ITN: www.youtube.com/watch?v=BXhhWEl8MPY

I can't really add much to this report from the Press Association:

Dame Vera joins soprano for poppy appeal launch

Forces sweetheart Dame Vera Lynn joined soprano singer Hayley Westenra in central London for an emotional rendition of the classic wartime song We'll Meet Again to officially launch the Royal British Legion's poppy appeal.

The pair held hands to sing in front of the crowd in London's Horse Guards Parade, accompanied by the Regimental Band of the Irish Guards and flanked by four troopers from the Queen's Life Guards in full state ceremonial regalia.

Following the song Dame Vera, 92, said: "Thank you all for coming here today to be with us as we launch the poppy appeal. While we are doing this I want you all to remember our boys over there in Afghanistan and not forgetting our boys in the last conflict. Thank you all for coming and do spare a moment of peace and quiet to remember and wish our boys safely back home. Thank you."

This year's appeal urges people to support troops wounded in Afghanistan and the families of those killed in the conflict by wearing a poppy. It focuses on the need to help the current generation of servicemen and women who have fought in the war-torn country.

For the first time the poster campaign features the image of a coffin being repatriated from Afghanistan.

This year's appeal, which aims to raise £31 million, is accompanied by a sobering poster campaign featuring a young war widow and a Royal Marine double amputee.

Among those attending the launch was Elizabeth Cross widow Hester Wright, 22, of Mansfield, Nottinghamshire, who features on the posters with her six-year-old son Josh.

Her late husband Damian Wright, of the 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment, died in a roadside explosion in Afghanistan in 2007, aged 23.

The pair have received financial help from the Royal British Legion, which has helped pay off debts, bought household goods and a school uniform for Josh, and assisted in paying for a holiday for them.

She said: "It's been a great comfort. It's like a great weight has been lifted from us, knowing that someone can help us out."

Copyright © 2009 The Press Association. All rights reserved

Richard

[Dave]

Glad you enjoyed the launch and met Hayley too, Richard!

While we are waiting for better photos to appear, I have taken a couple of (inevitably low quality, it's a news channel!) screen captures from the video, to whet everyone's appetite for the "proper" photos later.

The poppy launch and images of Hayley and Dame Vera have been featured on every BBC news broadcast for the last few hours!

Regarding the video of We'll Meet Again - Hayley Westenra (with Dame Vera Lynn) remember that it appears to have been recorded by a standard BBC shoulder-mounted outside broadcast camera, probably taking its sound from the stage speakers (you can see a handheld microphone at times). So for that, the quality is pretty good, I think!

Cheers, Dave

[Richard]

I've just found another video from ITN: www.youtube.com/watch?v=n2V0jM166Go

Richard

[dutchjoyce]

Thanks for the latest news and video.
What an honour for Hayley to be on stage with Dame Vera Lynn!!!
Great !!!, Greetz JOYCE

[Karsten]

Hi all,

Many thanks for the coverage so far.

There's now an article on the website of the Royal British Legion available.

www.britishlegion.org.uk/about-us/media-centre/news/poppy-appeal/dame-vera-lynn--hayley-westenra-launch-poppy-appeal-for-afghan-generation

Cheers, Karsten

[Richard]

Thanks for the tip, Karsten. I'll post the article in full:

Dame Vera Lynn & Hayley Westenra launch Poppy Appeal for Afghan generation

22 October 2009

Forces sweethearts from yesterday and today joined hands to launch the 2009 Poppy Appeal in support of the Afghan generation of Armed Forces wounded and bereaved.



Dame Vera Lynn, the original Second World War Forces Sweetheart who is once again at the top of the British charts, was joined by Kiwi songbird Hayley Westenra in launching the Poppy Appeal with a fundraising goal of £31 million.

Launching the campaign in a colourful ceremony from London's Horse Guards Parade, well known venue for the annual Trooping the Colour, Dame Vera was joined by the Regimental Band of the Irish Guards and members of the Queen's Life Guards in full state ceremonial regalia.

My songs were very popular when the boys were away, and now the boys are away again and my songs are popular again," said Dame Vera, 92. "I hope the British public support the Poppy Appeal and for their sake, please wear a poppy."



"The Royal British Legion is the leading UK charity providing direct, practical support for our wounded heroes and bereaved Armed Forces families," said the Legion's Director of National Events and Fundraising, Russell Thompson OBE. "The past 12 months of bloody conflict have increased the need for our help both today and for years to come."

Since 2003, the Legion provided financial help to 10,000 Service personnel and recent veterans of Iraq and Afghanistan. "We represented one-third of all the appeals for higher compensation payments for injuries suffered in Afghanistan," Mr Thompson said. "And, our campaigns have led to increased compensation awards which have placed an extra £7.5 million in the pockets of the most seriously injured."

The Legion currently spends more than a £1 million a week in its work helping over 130,000 other members of the Armed Forces Family – dependents, veterans and the bereaved. This year it hopes to extend its reach to more than 160,000 beneficiaries. "In order to fund this work we would like this year's Poppy Appeal to equal last year's record total of £31 million," Mr Thompson said.

The Royal British Legion's 2009 Poppy Appeal targets support for the wounded and bereaved of Afghanistan with a sobering poster campaign featuring a young war widow and a Royal Marine double amputee, both of them attending the Appeal launch.

Using the motto, 'For their sake, wear a poppy', the Poppy Appeal poster campaign also for the first time features a coffin being repatriated from Afghanistan.

The Poppy Appeal posters feature Elizabeth Cross widow Hester Wright, 22, of Mansfield, Notts and her six-year-old son, Josh. She lost her husband, Drummer Damian Wright of 2nd Battalion The Mercian Regiment (Worcester and Foresters) in an improvised explosion in Afghanistan in 2007, and she has since received Legion assistance.

The poster campaign also shows Lance Corporal Peter Dunning, 24, of the Armoured Support Group Royal Marines, who lost both legs when the vehicle he was travelling in went over a makeshift mine in Helmand province in May 2008. Originally from Wallasey, Merseyside, he is still serving and is based at RNAS Yeovilton; the Legion has provided him with aids to daily living.

"Nothing can replace the loss of Damian," said Mrs Wright. "But knowing that the Legion has been there to offer comfort and support has been a great help.

"For Josh's sake, wear a poppy."

Richard

[Caitlin]

Thank you Dave for uploading this so quickly! I loved the video

<3 Caitlin

[grant]

Hello everyone

What an amazing day! Review will follow as will pictures. I wanted to upload and look at them - all 172 of them! before I posted.

It's going to be a very hard job selecting what pictures to post so most, if not all, will maybe have to wait until tomorrow.

Best wishes
Grant

[Dave]

Hi Grant, we await your photos with bated breath!

Meanwhile, back at the video, Royal British Legion were very much "on the ball" today - they posted a comment within minutes of me uploading the video, and another comment a minute after my reply!

royalbritishlegion (4 hours ago)
Please support The Poppy Appeal by subscribing to The Royal British Legion YouTube channel!

hwivid (3 hours ago)
Yes, we did that some time ago. 

royalbritishlegion (3 hours ago)
Great! We hope that others who watch this will do the same. Thank you

I've never had that kind of dialogue in a YT video before, anyway I thought I should add a click-through link to Royal British Legion's YT channel at the end of the video, as an annotation on the video itself. So I have done, click away everyone! www.youtube.com/watch?v=csnsflgWQ54

Cheers, Dave