Commemorative luncheon brings veterans together

We recently paid tribute to war veterans and ex-servicemen at a commemorative luncheon as the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain coincided with our landmark 175 celebrations.

The Doncaster 231 mess of The Fellowship of Services were our honoured guests at the Masonic Hall in Thorne, where more than 50 attendees enjoyed a three-course meal and an afternoon of entertainment.

The members of the fellowship meet regularly to share stories from their time in the forces and to maintain the spirit of camaraderie that has remained strong for three quarters of a century.

Our luncheon provided the companions with an afternoon of musical entertainment from vocal duo, The Pensionaries, who performed wartime favourites, ending with a rendition of ‘Love’s Old Sweet Song’, which the fellowship sang together in memory of Len Wheeldon, a long-standing member who sadly died last year.

Our Thorne branch manager, John Brandon, said: “We were delighted to host members from The Fellowship of the Services.

“Whilst celebrating our 175 years of customer service and value, we had a look back at our company’s history and achievements, and we thought it poignant to acknowledge the 75-year anniversary of the Battle of Britain.

“This is the latest in a long line of events we’ve hosted this year to celebrate our anniversary. These have included charity walks for our chosen charity partner, Caudwell Children, open days at our branches, football and rugby sponsorship and held our largest ever trade show in Leeds.”
 
He added: “The afternoon was a great success and was well received by everyone who attended.”