MEMBERS of Dursley and Cam RBL met for their monthly meeting at Dursley Community Centre during a busy weekend which had seen the branch annual dinner on Friday evening and the Armed Forces Day parade and service in Thornbury on Saturday.

The 16 members present heard a report of the parade, which was attended by five branch members including Kate Reynolds who carried the County Standard.

The parade was well attended by veterans, youth groups and two local MPs and well supported by several hundred people who stood in the heat on the High Street to watch the parade.

A total of 42 members and friends had attended the annual dinner at The Gables on Friday when the centenary of the RAF was celebrated.

The diners enjoyed an excellent meal and an entertaining and thought-provoking talk from Air Marshall Sir Dusty Miller.

The chairman thanked Barbara Powell for the hard work she had put in to organise the event.

Thanks were also due to Lindsay and Angela White for opening their garden to the public the previous weekend, when over £300 was raised for the Poppy Appeal, bringing the total for the year to more than £18,000.

Looking ahead, members were reminded that kits for knitting and crocheting poppies were now available from Inches in Dursley.

Hundreds will be needed for the proposed yarn bombing during November’s Poppy fortnight so please get stitching.

Other future events include participation in the Dursley Carnival, a trip to the Poppy Factory in September and the annual Poppy Proms event.

The branch meets at 12.15pm on the first Sunday of every month at Dursley Community Centre.

You do not have to be ex-Service to join the RBL, just to support our aims and have an interest in Service and ex-Service matters.

Come along and join us.

Help and support is always needed for events and friendship and a warm welcome awaits you.

The next meeting will be on August 5.