THE Royal British Legion Remembrance and Poppy Appeal 2015 in Ruardean, Woodside and The Pludds has been successful and again a challenge for collectors who were brilliant in such a rural setting.

Further, this year we had to find a way to augment a missing bugler, however that was the cue for the captain of Ruardean church-bells, Will Ruck and his team, to introduce both the Church Remembrance (November 8) and Memorial Hall (November 11) service with the Westminster Chimes and to accompany a muster-call of the named fallen with a single toll.

Officiating at both services was Tony Hughes, who accepted the British Legion and the Guides’standards from Doris Whittington, Andrew Gardiner and 1st Ruardean Guides leader Jenny Ermoyenous. with Guides Lydia Smith, Ayaya Smith, Asher Nardeah and Kym Ermoyenous laying their standard and poppy wreath.

Evonne Sainsbury played the organ and Edward Camilleri and Andrew Gardiner read the names and exhortation of the Laurence Binyon poem and Kohima Declaration.

Continuing the poetical theme of the church service, the Head of Ruardean Primary School, Jane Evans, recited Leo Marks’ poem The life That I Have.

Sally Parker presented a background and then recited a poem by John McCrae In Flanders Fields’  

Jayl DeLara presented backgrounds and then recited three poems spanning years of conflict: Wilfred Owen’s The Parable of the Old Man, the Battle of Britain poem Our Wall by William L B Walker and Dave Gardiner’s Korean poem Through the Night.

One could feel the emotion and atmosphere these poems created.

The church gave generously to the Poppy Appeal and refreshments were served after the service by ladies of the social committee.

For the first time a poppy remembrance service was held at the new Memorial Cross on Armistice Day.

During the service the Chairman of Ruardean Parish Council, Ralph Cole, and Andrew Gardiner laid the Poppy Wreath.

Finally the Malt Shovel opened its doors for the British Legion (Ruardean section, Drybrook branch) for the Poppy count which was hosted with a drink and refreshments.

The final count raised £1,270.06 on behalf of the Poppy Appeal, which as organiser for the Ruardean area and supported by the Drybrook secretary and their organiser, I would again like to thank everyone concerned for their generous contributions.

– Cllr Andrew Gardiner (Ind), Forest of Dean District Council, Lydbrook and Ruardean.