THE Anchor Inn at Lower Froyle supported the Royal British Legion on Friday by treating 50 vhis eterans and current service men and women to a special pre-Remembrance Day lunch.

Guests were invited to this unique event by the staff at The Anchor Inn and by volunteers, who took on the roles of waiters, cooks and bottle washers for the occasion, their way of saying “thank you” to our Armed Forces past and present and their families.

As well as enjoying a three-course meal, the event provided the opportunity for guests to share stories, laughter and even some sadness, safe in the knowledge that they were among friends – fellow veterans and serving personnel who have recently returned from operations.

Among those present was well-known Holybourne veteran 94-year-old Cecil ‘Pop’ Chandler, who served for 35 years with the Royal Air Force, which included working on the Lancaster bombers as an engineer.

A member of the Alton RAF Association, Pop proudly wore medals, which included the Legion d’Honneur, which is awarded to D-Day veterans, the Air Crew Europe Star, the Clasp German Star, as well as Second World War medals, long service and good conduct medals.

Royal British Legion community fundraiser Sarah Ferris, said: “This annual event, which was launched in 2008, proves to be very popular and we are thankful to The Anchor Inn for continuing with this tradition along with members of the local community who don their aprons for the day.

“The Armed Forces community live all around us and the Legion’s support happens in unexpected ways in unexpected places. Those responsible for organising the lunch were doing their bit to support just this.”

In expressing the Royal British Legion’s gratitude to all those who had given up their time, in a bid to demonstrate their own gratitude to the Armed Forces, Ms Ferris said the hope was that the 2017 Poppy Appeal will reach the projected target of £47m.

She added: “The Royal British Legion is this year encouraging people to rethink what remembrance means.

“The poppy and the work of the Legion are often associated with the first and second world wars and elderly veterans, but the charity is calling on the public to reconsider what the poppy stands for and wear it in support of the Armed Forces community, past and present.”