Things were a little bit difficult this year as far as Poppy Appeal is concerned. One of my volunteers was ill in bed, so could not collect, another had a bad leg, another was ill to start with, and another fell seriously ill after they finished helping. It is for this reason that I am always looking for collectors. Some help did arrive, and I thank all those who came to my aid, but regretfully it was not enough. There is also the matter of the credit crunch, and the weather in November is not always the best.

Having said all that Elstead still did a fantastic job, and responded very well. The static boxes (shops) were very good, the supermarkets got covered, but the house to house did not. Wreath sales have not changed, and the church were very supportive and helpful.

It is impossible to select people for special thanks, as they are all precious to me, and all do what they can, when they can. I do want to thank the staff and children of St James' School however for the very special relationship that currently exists. I showed a class a CDROM about the Somme this year and the children were genuinely moved.

Here then is the result of Poppy Appeal for 2008, announced at the Branch AGM.

This is a decrease of £459.78 from last year, but still a very good result.

This is an exceptional "not to be missed" exhibition at the Royal Academy, Burlington House, Piccadilly, London W1 until 22^nd March 2009.
Phone 020 7300 8000. http://www.royalacademy.org.uk .
It has been jointly organised with the Benaki Museum in Athens and is under the patronage of the Prince of Wales.

The exhibition tells the story of the rise and fall of the first Christian empire. To do so, it not only offers the unexpected joys of icons and religious artefacts but also takes us deeply into the lives and homes of men and women who lived in an empire that stretched east and west of the Bosphorus.

It charts the emergence of early Christian art (hidden behind seemingly classical motifs in an era of persecution), the course of iconoclasm and the later resurgence of Byzantine art as an influence on other cultures. Never before has such collection been assembled in one place. The RA has objects loaned from 85 institutions and collectors worldwide that together make for an absolutely stunning exhibition. Do get there if you possibly can."