Items from the 1980`s Diss Express.
Diss Express 14th November 1980
Poppy record PEOPLE
Up to this week more than £l,000 had been collected from Diss and the surrounding areas, an increase of almost 20 per cent on last year.
But for Ron Knight, poppy appeal organiser from the Diss Royal British Legion said the appeal doesn't finish on Remembrance Sunday.
It goes on all year round. "We expect the total will eventually come to £1,500" said Mr Knight.
A total of £89 was collected in Bressingham. £76 in Roydon. £23 in Shelfanger and in Diss £640.
The sale of poppies and wreaths brought the total up to £1,053.
The Public flocked to the poppy seller in high streets this year helping to make it one of the most successful collections so far.
Diss Express 17th October 1980
'Mrs British Legion` dies
DISS will miss one of its greatest characters and keenest voluntary workers.
Mrs "Lily" Nunn died in the early hours of Sunday. aged 89.
Mrs Nunn, also affectionately called "Mrs British Legion". had served in the women's branch of the British Legion since 1927, and was a member of the Legion's benevolent service committee.
Recently she had been awarded the Legion's order of merit.
When Remembrance Day poppies appeared in 1921 Mrs Nunn was one of the first to go out selling them.
In 1927 Mrs Nunn became Diss's first postwoman.
A widow since 1947, Mrs Nunn was a keen voluntary worker.
She worked for the WRVS and held one of their long-service certificates.
She never refused her help to any charity, and was famous in the town for arranging her "mystery outings''.
Mr Fred Kerry. an old friend of Mrs Nunn. who lived at 2 Sunnyside. Diss. described her as "always willing to help anybody."The funeral will be held at 2.15 pm on October 17 at the Sunnyside Salvation Hall in Diss.
Diss Express 5th November 1982
FOR SOME PEOPLE EVERY DAY IS REMEMBRANCE DAY
It is 60 years since the first poppies were sold on the streets during which time we have witnessed the Second World War and countless 'peacetime conflicts.
Throughout those years the Royal British Legion has worked tirelessly provide a wide range of care for ex-service men and women and their dependents.
As the Legion's 1982 Poppy Appeal swings into action the vital nature of its work is brought into dramatic focus by events in the South Atlantic.
The Falklands conflict has revealed the stark reality of British troops facing discomfort, danger and even death, on hostile terrain and in the stormy waters of the southern oceans.
Disabled People and the Legion's Diamond Jubilee.
How many people know that a third of all London taxi drivers have been trained at the Legion's London taxi school?
Five thousand drivers have passed through the school since this enterprise began.
And how many are aware that they also run the Attendants' Company. Britain's second largest car parking organisation, which employs 716 ex-service men and women, 28 per cent of whom are disabled?
This branch of Legion enterprise also provides security wardens for the House of Commons, the Tower of London and Kew Gardens, as well as staff for events all over the country.
The Attendants' Company are also acknowledged experts in the field of electronic surveillance, having pioneered maximum security lorry parking.
Every year the Royal British Legion gives more than £1.5 million to ex-members of the Forces who find themselves in distressed circumstances.
This may take the form of immediate financial help in times of acute hardship or as in the case of their winter heating for the elderly scheme regular contributions which allay anxieties over ever-increasing fuel costs.
The Legion provides a free advisory service for those seeking help and assistance with claims and appeals for war pensions and war widows pensions.
Representations are made to all levels of government on a wide variety of issues affecting the ex service community and last year more than 10,000 cases involving claims and appeals for war pensions were handled.
In addition, more than 2,200 people were represented at war pensions appeal tribunals.
The total value of the pensions and allowances received by those helped exceeded £1.3 million.
The Legion has five country homes where those who have served their country. or their widows, can live permanently when age or infirmity makes this necessary.
Here they find care, companionship and peace in beautiful surroundings.
For some. a short break away from home is all that is necessary to put them on the road to recovery and the Legion maintains three convalescent homes at Weston-super- Mare. Southport and in Northern Ireland for this purpose.
A vital area of Legion activity is that of housing.
Its self-financing housing association has built more than 9,000 houses, bungalows and flats since its inception in 1964. and has won design awards for several developments Homes have been provided for more than 12.750 elderly or disabled people.
Twelve hundred more homes are under construction and, as funds become available, work on a further 2250 will commence.
The housing association one of the fastest growing in the country is also active in Northern Ireland where 152 dwellings have been built and another 80 are either under way or on the drawing board.
The Women's Section. which is an integral part of the Legion. also finances and runs two rest homes and provides flat-lets for widows and ex-service women.
These are some of the ways the Legion seeks to help the ex-Service community. from which it is clear that they are primarily concerned with the "here and now” Whether a Service man or woman were disabled on the battlefields of Ypres. the beaches of Dunkirk, at Aden. in Northern Ireland or on the Falklands. they need help today, regardless of when they were injured.
And of course, old soldiers grow older and age brings its own problems and infirmities to add to the trials of disablement, thus increasing the extent of care required Demands on the Legion are undiminished, but the cost of providing such all-embracing care rises at an alarming rate as inflation takes its toll.
In 1981, for example. the Poppy Appeal raised more than £5 million, but the shortfall against inflation was £150,000. thus severely eroding the purchasing power of the money raised as Poppy Week 1982 approaches, the Legion appeals to the British public to give with even greater generosity.
Giving doesn't have to mean money alone time can be equally valuable and collectors are most urgently needed.
In the Falklands we have witnessed once again the human spirit at its finest it is such selfless service that the Legion's work honours and remembers every day of every passing year.
And this highlights for us all the unique contract society makes with its servicemen.
We ask them to risk their lives or permanent disablement.
We expect them to undergo hardships that would be quite unacceptable to other professions.
We expect them to work long hours, in appalling conditions, under strict military discipline.
Even their rights as citizens are severely curtailed by virtue of being servicemen; they cannot strike, they cannot negotiate on pay, pensions or conditions of service, they cannot sue their employers for negligence and they have none of the power of the trade unions behind them.
Surely the nation owes it to this very special group to treat them with generosity and compassion if they are disabled in the service of their country.
But the facts are that neither pension nor welfare arrangements are adequate to meet fully the needs of many disabled ex-service people.
And it is by augmenting the provisions of the Welfare State that the Royal British Legion constantly serve to fill the gaps.
The Falkland conflict is no more - to the Legion's workload than any campaign since 1914.
We must stand by them all.
The Legion's proudest claim is the largest private employer of of this advertisement disabled people in me country.
The best known example is its poppy factory at Richmond, which provides full-time work for 114 severely disabled ex-service men and women, and part-time work for a further 17.
And, proving that the chronically sick can still make a useful contribution, a system of out-work allows many housebound employees to assemble poppies in their own homes.
A tribute to the achievement of these men and women is that in 1981 they produced more than 45 million poppies.
200,000 remembrance crosses and 66,000 wreaths their efforts helping to raise more than £5 million for the Legion's welfare work.
Not for nothing has the poppy factory been described as 'a truly human war memorial'.
The Royal British Legion village near Maidstone in Kent not only serves as a warehouse and despatch centre for all poppy appeal material, but also houses thriving industries, including the manufacture of road signs and timber pallets, and crafts by disabled ex-service men, as well as the production of print material on the most modern presses.
This year sees the opening there of the Churchill Centre. a purpose-built rehabilitation and assessment centre, which was started last year.
Diss Express 2nd December 1983.
Appeal total up by £2OO
THIS year's Poppy Appeal in Diss has come up trumps with the organisers raising £1,842.
The total is more than £200 upon last year.
Organiser for the Diss branch of the Royal British Legion, Reg knights, said that donations were doubled in Diss church on Poppy Day this year. "We're very pleased with the response solar". he said.
The record collector was Mrs D. Wood who collected £150 in her Poppy Appeal box.
Diss Express 14th November 1986
Wreaths and a parade as people of Diss remember
Sunday services were well attended throughout the area, and in Diss a total of 22 wreaths were laid at the war memorial following the church service.
Many organisations and local groups were represented and paraded through the town from the Co-op car park to the church of St Mary the Virgin.
Taking the salute at the Market Place were Commander Patrick Taylor, president of the Royal British Legion Diss branch and Poppy Appeal organiser; Group Captain J. R. Musgrave, and Mrs Musgrave; town council chairman John Leeder and his wife, and Mrs Pat Norfolk, president of the Women's Section of the RBL.
Leading the parade was the band of the Salvation Army, Diss Corps.
Others taking part were the Royal British Legion men's and women's sections who also paraded standards at the Roydon Church service in the morning.
Diss Air Training Cadets; the Royal Air Force Association; Diss Guides and Brownies and Diss Scouts.
From Diss Express 24th October 1986
Pleased by support THANKS to all who helped the Poppy appeal plea donated and supported a coffee morning at the Christian Centre, Harleston, on October 15, which raised HOUSE to house collections hope to do even better this £79 towards the £150 needed for Poppy Day this year for the purchase of a be made by Commander P. Taylor, of a Nebulizer.
From October 27 to the 8th November Appeal Organiser, Mrs Liz Ronsey, of 9 Croft Close, said that Poppy Day for Diss British Legion, will be November 8th.
Harleston on the 8th will be collecting in the streets.
Diss Express 29th January 1988
Diss RBL
The Royal British Legion Women's Section met for their monthly meeting at Grasmere last week.
Guest speaker was Mrs Erica James, who talked about her work as an occupational therapist.
The Branch cup was awarded to Mrs Riches for her loyal and dedicated work.
The next meeting will be on Tuesday, February 16, when the speaker will be Mr G. Arnold from Help The Aged. He will talk about Life Line.
