Last
Sunday, along with thousands of others throughout the county I attended
Remembrance Sunday services. This year I was in Camborne in the
morning and then at Illogan in the afternoon. Once again there was an
incredibly strong turnout despite the weather. In particular, it was
great to see all of the various cadet groups out in force along with the Scouts
and Brownies. All making the effort to pay their respects to those who
have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedoms.
There
were other events including a "Live on" event with performances from
the Military Wives Choir, the Bev Lin Dance School, singer Andy Marshall, a
wonderful poem about the Poppy read by seven year old Poppy Stevenson and the
band from HMS Seahawk. Care for Casualties also organised a firework
event in memory of David Curnow, the local soldier who was so tragically
murdered in Redruth earlier this autumn and his father, Mike Curnow, delivered
a very poignant reading at the Illogan service this year. The incident
has caused great shock locally and there is huge sympathy and support for his
brave family and what they are going through at the moment.
Earlier
this year marked the 75th anniversary of the Battle of Britain and I recently
held discussions with David Spencer Evans who lives locally and is the founder
of the Spitfire Heritage Trust. You learn something new every week and it
turns out that, during the last war, the people of Lesotho (or Basutoland as it
was then called) donated enough money to build two squadrons of Spitfires to
help us at a time of great peril. It is a reminder that the whole empire
got behind the UK during the last war and the Spitfire Heritage Trust have been
working on a project to build a replica Spitfire to be presented to the people
of Lesotho in recognition of their role. It is great to see such good
work being led here in Cornwall.
