Veterans celebrate Jubilee
Veterans at a county association have been marking the Queen's Jubilee with their own celebration.
The Shropshire Branch National Service (RAF) Association, held a special lunch to mark the jubilee, with the group meeting at Christopher's Restaurant – formerly the Swan Hotel in Wellington.
The group, which has more than 40 members from across the county, and further afield, was set up to provide a venue for veterans who have completed national service to meet.
Georgina Wheeler, 77, from Brookside, Telford, set up the branch in 2013, and is currently treasurer.
She said that they had been delighted to have the opportunity to celebrate the jubilee, and that they had been pleased to welcome a number of special guests, including Telford mayor, Councillor Raj Mehta, and Wellington mayor, Councillor Dorothy Roberts.
Entertainment at the event was provided by John Hughes, who has previously performed at the branch's Christmas lunches.
Mrs Wheeler, whose late husband Frederick did national service in the RAF, said that the branch had grown in recent years to take in members from others areas of the armed forces.
She said: "This branch was formed in 2013 at the Swan Hotel for mostly RAF veterans. Since then we have had Army and Naval veterans and WAAFs attend. Rather than staying indoors on their own this gets them here to tell their stories to other veterans, which they really enjoy."
"Every month we have a speaker talking to us about different things of interest from 12pm to 1pm – then they have lunch.
"This week was to celebrate the Platinum Jubilee of our Queen. Most of the veterans were not able to go to any Jubilee functions so we thought we would do this instead of having the usual speaker."
