A View from Behind the Scenes.

May to July 2022 was a busy time for both Committee and Members of Diss & District Royal British Legion as in six weeks we attempted to gain more members, plus support Armed Forces Day and the Diss Carnival, as well as an Open meeting for the Branch.

Following comments and suggestion from members at previous Branch Meetings, it was decided by the Committee to try an afternoon meeting for June, instead of the normal evening one and make it an `Open` one in an Attempt to encourage the Public to become aware of the work of the Royal British Legion.

First thing was to check if it was possible to change our time with the Diss Bowls club, thankfully as normal they were very helpful and saw no problem with the change of time.

Now what can we give the public to encourage their attendance and recruit new Members?

We called upon support from other Branches, and Terry Pegg for Harlestone RBL Branch, offered to give a talk and display on the famous Harlestone Tapestry, at no cost to the Branch, plus both Harlestone and Dickleburgh mentioned the event at their Branch Meetings.

We next turn our attention to Diss Town Council and Sarah, the Town Clerk, again as normal, very helpful and organised the Mayor, Councillor Taylor to attend and notified other councillors of the event, also she attend the open afternoon as well along with one other Councillor.

Now we have basic idea of what we are doing and what we have to offer, we turn our Attention to the Local Press, including Park Radio.

Park Radio not only plugged us, I ended up doing my first ever Radio Broadcast, doing a 15 min chat about the Legion and the Open meeting, as Suzi Qutro sings, 15 mins of Fame, before they steal your star away!

Park Radio kindly sent me a copy of the broadcast, you can sure tell I am a Cockney!!!

We got mentioned in the Local Papers and the Diss Family History Group did an item in their Newsletter on the event, plus we mentioned it on the Diss Community Page on Facebook.

It is all coming together, Mary organised a Raffle, Mike our Standard Bearer organised for the Branch Standard, a Union Flag and an Armed Forces Day Flag to be displayed, Jenny and her friend made a lot of lovely Home made cakes, Members purchased Tea, Coffee, Milk and Biscuits for the masses and I recreated the stand we had at the Diss Town Meeting in April, plus Terry's talk, even the great God of Weather helped by supply a lovely sunny day!

Well as they say even the best laid plans of Mice and Men can go wrong every now and again, and this one did, big time!!!

The only thing you cannot control is Joe & Jane Public, and they let us down, as sadly not ONE member of the Public turned up, all the work and effort, down the drain, still at least Mary Raised £40 for the Legion!!

Well one down, two to go, next one Armed Forces Day, now in my ignorance, I though as Public event, the Town Council would be the organisers, so sat and waited for an e-mail on the Subject.

Got that wrong, it is down to us to organise it with the Council support, so now a bit of Panic and a dash around to try and pull something out of the Hat!

A meeting was quickly arranged with Sarah from DTC, so Mike and myself attended and got the O/K to go ahead, on the understanding that Health and Safety Assessment form and Public Liability Certificate would be supplied by the RBL, plus an on site Safety Briefing with Robert from DTC.

Now to try and get some sort of event, thankfully both Diss Royal Air Force Association and Diss Army Cadets, were just waiting for the `Call to Arms` and sprung into action.

Mike and I meet Robert on site, where Robert made some alterations to my H&S Plan, which now meant, that future AFD events, can use the same plan.

Mike spoke to Davis Hines who offered to bring one of his Army trucks and a Display of Military Equipment.

So Armed Forces Day is a Go!!!

Ralph said we could use his Gazebo, Mary organised a Raffle and Children games.

Now a big Thanks to Morrisons Supermarket, was advise by their Community Champion to contact them if we needed any help for charity events, which I did and they kindly supplied two lovely big prizes for the main Raffle.

Again both Local Papers mentioned the event, and I ended up doing my 2^nd Broadcast on Park Radio, again advertising the work of the RBL plus the AFD event, also mentioned on the Diss Community page on Facebook, finally an e-mail about the event was sent to all members who had supplied an E-Mail address to the RBL (sadly again a poor response).

Diss Museum advertised the event along with our friends at DFHG and the local U3A also gave us a mention at their meeting. (a hopeful follow up is in the next edition of the Cockcrow, the newsletter of the Country Parishes of the Diss Team Ministry will publish a small item I wrote of the event)

Saturday 25^th June arrived, and despite me having concerns, everything went into place, even the great god of Weather was kind to us!

So we ended Armed Forces Week with a small Armed Forces Day event at Diss Market Square on Sat 25th June.

The Diss Royal British Legion, joined forces with the Diss Royal Air Force Association and Diss Army Cadet Force.

The event was supported by Diss Town Council and amongst those attending were Diss Mayor, Cllr Eric Taylor, Head of Council Simon Orlando, Graham Minshull from South Norfolk Council and Keith Kiddie from Norfolk County Council, plus other Councillors.

David Hines did a display of Military Memorability including one very large Lorry, David is a member of Diss RBL.

Diss Museum was open and had a sale of military Books for their funds.

Andrew Rackham, another of our Members supplied a lot of Newspaper cuttings from the Falklands War forty years ago, but as it was bit too windy we decided not to put them on Display.

The Mayor was with us most the day and returned in the afternoon to draw the Winning Tickets for the Raffle.

We made over £100 for the RBL, so a very big thank you to the people of Diss and Surrounding Villages who came and supported Armed Forces Day.

Thanks to all those Volunteers at the event, Ralph, Mary, Jenny, Mike G, Mike W, (and anybody I have forgot, you are just as important), finally especially the Army Cadet Force.

Well now slightly exhausted, but happy, thoughts turn to Diss Carnival Day on the 3^rd July and the last phase of the three pronged attempt at getting new members, although sadly, despite two good events, the score is New Members 0!!!

A lot of good publicity in the Local Papers from the event including photos.

The Great God of Confusion intervenes, thinking we were all on course for the 3^rd, I get a sudden phone call from Andrew Rackham, `Bob, do you know the Legion are not down to attend the Carnival`!

Again a misunderstanding with Paper work, meant that we had not been included, so slight Panic, but Andrew said, if I bring the forms round, can you fill them in straight away and I will take them back to DTC Carnival Committee.

So while Andrew is on his way, printed off another H&S Plan, plus Public Liability Form (at this point must mention Gary Cocks, the Norfolk Membership Service Officer for both the Legions Public Liability form and a copy of the Legions H&S statement on Covid).

Andrew arrives, forms filled in, paper work added, but I have no details for Dave to have his jeep in the Parade, so had to leave that out.

An e-mail to David to make him aware, he talks to Andrew and behind the scenes, another problem is sorted!

Although a few minor mistakes had been made, I have learned a lot and next year will be prepared to get everything done a lot lot earlier!!!!

Now just as we approach the `winning line` a major problem that nearly puts the block on the whole Carnival Plan, two of the `Top Team`, Mary and Ralph cannot make it owing to long term previous engagements, (this was cause by the fact the normal Carnival date had been put back owing to the Jubilee Celebrations and now clashes).

But in the Words of Shakespeare from Henry V, `Close this hole with your English Dead, for Harry, England and St George!!` into the gap walks David Hines, who offers us his Gazebo, Jeep, and help on the day with is wife Julie, plus a ride in the Parade in his jeep for me (well I am just a big Kid at Heart)!

Its 08:00 on Sunday 3^rd July and it is Carnival Day in Diss, for the first time in three years, this year the Carnival theme is the Greatest Showman, from the Circus Film of the same name.

I am at the Mere Park in Diss and already it is getting busy, some stalls already in place while other vehicles begin to arrive.

David Hines arrives with the Gazebo, which we set up, along with Mike G and the Tables for the Diss and District Royal British Legion.

Quick check with the Diss Royal Air Force Association, which I am also a member off, then back to the car to drive home to pick up the bags of Prizes for the Lucky Dip for our Stall.

10:20 and Dave's Jeep Arrives, now fully decorated with him and his wife Julie who helps me load the Items in to his Trailer, then we are off.

10:30, we arrive at Diss High School where the Carnival Parade leaves from.

Although the Parade does not move off until 12:30, we have to be there early so the Vehicles can be put in the right order.

For the next two hours, Floats are decorated, Dance groups go through their routines and every body wonders around chatting to other groups, taking photos and just in General enjoying the Carnival Atmosphere.

Time just flies and at 12:00 the Chief Parade Marshal calls together the Parade Marshals and the Cadet Force Volunteers from both the Army and Air Cadets for a briefing.

12:15 and in true Military fashion, we all mount up.

12:30 the first Float moves off and we get ready to meet the Public.

We move out into the road in the brilliant sunshine, there we see the Public for the First Time.

The Parade is at walking pace and frequently stops, so plenty of time to chat with the Public and spot a few old Friends in the Crowds.

We move slowly down Mount street, St Mary comes in to view and the crowds are getting bigger.

As we pass St Mary and move in to the Market square, the full force of the Crowds hit you, there are hundreds of them and David has to be very carefully as the crowds throng in to the Road.

The road gets very narrow going through the shops with even more Crowds.

We are about three Quarter of the way down the Parade, and this means the end of the Parade has now left the school and crowds begin to follow it.

We reach Morrisons Roundabout and for the first time, a chance see the floats that are behind us.

As the roads are closed off, you see the wonderful sight of Children sitting in the middle of the road, which normally has cars driving on it to get to the Supermarket!

With the crowds still cheering, we arrive at the Park were we are waved in by a Marshal, much to the surprise of some of the spectators, as a WW2 Jeep suddenly comes towards them, with both the RBL and Armed Forces Day flags flying Proudly.

Soon the Jeep was parked next to our stand, where members of the RBL Mike W and Richard were already engaging the Public.

Lucky Dip prizes, which there was 50 of, were soon unloaded out of the Jeep and we all begun engaging the Public to try their luck and win a prize, `0 or 5 wins a Prize!`

A Number 0 or 5 had to be at the end of the number on the tickets, and soon winners begun to get their prizes.

Originally I had planned to throw small packets of Sweets at the Kids as we drove by, but found out we were not allowed to do this, nothing to do with Health and Safety, but instead the Child Protection Act, again we live and learn!

So the sweets were bagged up, 15 packets to a bag, now five bags as prizes, so shows how many we had!!!

The Prizes ranged from Bottles of Drinks, Toys, Jigsaws, Sweets, Chocolate and other Various items.

One child won a bag of Sweets, which he clung to tightly with a smashing smile on his face, like he had won the Lottery.

The Tickets were originally 2 for a pound, but as the Carnival ended at 17:00, at 16:00 hours we changed to a whole 5 for a pound!

By 17:00 we had no prizes left and £353 in the Kitty for the RBL, plus five membership forms had been handed out, so fingers crossed.

By now the clouds begun to gather and the wind changed direction, so as the crowds were leaving, we, like the other stalls, begun to dismantle and clear up, making sure we left no rubbish behind.

Both the legs and the feet were now starting to ache, and as I had no car as I had come down in the Jeep, Mike G, gave me a lift home, tired but happy.

There was some good photos from the Parade on the DTC web page and the local Facebook page.

It had been a busy 6 weeks, what with an Open afternoon for the RBL at Diss Bowls Club, Armed Forces Day in the Market Square and then the Carnival, which included two Radio and four Press interviews, plus meeting with the council including a Health & Safety briefing, it had been a busy time for the Royal British Legion Volunteers.

Remember, you do not have to served in the Armed Forces, just have the Aims and Wishes of the RBL in your heart, so the Diss & District RBL always wants members, especially at Remembrance time as Poppy Sellers, so perhaps next year, YOU could be a part of the 2023 events in Diss!

Finally, the modern term is `Networking` for when groups work together in a common bond, (in my old days it was called Friendship!) so a big thanks to some of the groups I am a member of, RAFA, FoDM, DFHG, U3A, also to Diss Town Council, Diss Army Cadet Force and Diss Bowls Club, but the most important of all, the Members of Diss RBL for all that was done, many of which were things behind the Scenes that have not been mentioned here, God Bless You All, Lest We Forget.

Bob,

R J Rogers,

Branch Secretary,

Diss and District Royal British Legion.

P.S What it is all about.