Campaign News

The meeting with Dame Vera was a far greater success than we could ever have anticipated. On arrival I met up with Eddie Mortimer at Whitehall, we made our way through to Horse Guards Parade and met the orchestrator of the opportunity and a very relieved Roy Wilson (Area liaison officer for the National Service Veterans Association and NDM Committee member), who was nervous we may not make it in time for the launch. Together we waited anxiously, still uncertain if we would see the right moment to hand over the NDM Recognition Report. There was lots of Media, other hierarchy and officials buzzing around who gave us the distinct feeling we were rather low in the pecking order, so we knew we would need to be persistent and firm, after all we had been invited.

Our nervousness was growing as the original timings for the official Poppy launch seemed to have slipped 30 minutes. But we remained near the arch that we knew Forces Sweethearts past and present Dame Vera and Hayley Westenra, the New Zealand Soprano, would eventually appear on stage. When Dame Vera arrived she was very quickly ushered into Horse Guards, but we had been told our chance may come after the launch, as it happened we were only a few yards (I don't do metric) from the press tent, and where interviews with Dame Vera would be held. We thought at this point it would be difficult to hand over the report, however it transpired to be quite the opposite.

The launch itself was very moving with Hayley Westenra singing the immortal We'll Meet Again, helped towards the end by Dame Vera (at 92), it was a magic experience. We felt very privileged to see both forces sweethearts on the same stage, and remember Dame Vera has also become a 2009 chart topper to boot.

The breakthrough, despite some of the 'officials' best efforts, came when Roy managed to gain the ear of Dame Vera's daughter Virginia, who incidentally was very gracious and supportive. Virginia happily took the report from Roy, and added she would ensure we had the chance for a quick meeting with Dame Vera with photos taken by Sandra Rowse. Sandra is a top professional and having seen the camera screen shots I can confirm she has some absolute cracking pictures. We was asked to move on by various people but as there were only 3 of us it was like nailing jelly to the wall, we were on a mission and we were going to succeed.

In the interim I had also managed to chat with Hayley Westenra, who was also informed about the NDM campaign. Hayley was delightful and very attentive; she was pleased to pose for some photo's with us. With Dame Vera's daughter on board, all we had to do was patiently wait for our turn, this came after a live BBC interview and whilst waiting for ITV to get organised (you will see Roys head in the background during the ITV interview). In the end we had a magnificent audience with dame Vera; Roy explained the whole NDM project, that tens of thousands of supporters all over the world are behind it, and asked her if she would take time to read the report. Roy went on to say if she felt it was something she could support to please write to Roy, who had included his details with the report.

Dame Vera was exactly as you would expect and gave us her undivided attention, much to the growing annoyance of some of the scheduling staff!. Whilst we were having our photo's taken, I heard Virginia replying to one chap who said our meeting was not on the timetable, to which she said "they are veterans, wearing their poppies, and if mother found out they had not been able to meet her she would be furious", the aforementioned 'official' once chastised went with the flow. Virginia assured us Dame Vera would definitely read the report, and write to Roy in due course, she went on ?it may be a while as she was very busy, and had lots of correspondence to attend to, but Roy would get a reply?.

As we were leaving to have a cuppa at the Civil Service club, Roy also respectfully collared the new RBL President, Lt General Sir John Kiszely KCB MC. Roy asked if he had heard of the NDM campaign? Sir John said he had heard a little about it, at which point Roy offered to send him a copy of the NDM report. Sir John assured Roy he would read it, and advised him to get a card from Robert Lee RBL Head of Media and Campaigns.

Overall, it was a fantastic coup, and we were very lucky to have achieved so much, we must thank Sandra Rowse for helping get us so close. But the biggest thank you is of course to Dame Vera and her wonderful daughter Virginia, and finally the human dynamo Roy.