MR Tony Butcher says on the joining the branch committee (of the Lydney British Legion) that was probably the last seen of them until Remembrance Day.

Having served for 50-plus years on the branch committee plus more on service work, may I tell Mr Butcher that we met twice every month (except August) and at the end of the meeting and during them we paid drink, food, cigarettes and cigars and lost fortunes on sixpenny fruit machines.

All this money went to the Lydney Legion.

As sports secretary for many, many years I ran the branch sports snooker, pool, crib and dominoes.

Over those years thousands came to visit us through branch activities, indeed we made £1,000 in one day when we put on an area sports day.

All money went to the club from the branch.

There is much more I could say. Sorry, Tony Butcher, but many will smile or be hurt by your comments.

I'll give the names of good Royal British Legion committee members: Bert Weaving, Tom Goode, Sid Gresty, Tom Wilding, Jock Cameron, Alf Palethorp, Austin Turner, Les and Dorothy Marshall, Mike Haddock, Greta Wright, Brian North, Mike Houghton and chairman Bill Johns.

There were many other fine branch committee men over the years.

– Brian Probert, Lydney.