by Matt D’Arcy

Vale da Telha has become the latest stopping-off point of the Royal British Legion as its footprint in Portugal continues to grow,

A number of Amovate members were among the guests at the Legion’s Christmas charity lunch in the Hotel Vale da Telha on Thursday December 3.

The Portugal branch of the Legion has been holding regular lunches and dinners across the Algarve for a number of years.

And now, thanks to their recent expansion onto the Algarve’s west coast the Legion was able to hold a Christmas fundraiser here in Vale da Telha, attended by some of their more recent recruits who joined following a visit earlier this year by branch chairman Jacquie Collins and secretary Bob Collins, her husband.

The lunch raised €438 which is to be divided equally between the Branch and the Poppy Appeal.

Mrs Collins welcomed the newer members along with some more established members from across the Algarve’s southernmost area who had travelled over to meet their new colleagues.

Mrs Collins said afterwards: “It is really wonderful that, as the Legion approaches its centenary in just over five years time—May 15, 1921—it continues to attract new members who appreciate the value of our armed forces and the wonderful work they do to protect us.

“We know there is a big expat community here along the length and breadth of Aljezur Camara, particularly up here on Vale da Telha.

“So, it is an absolute delight to be able to follow the introductory lunch we held in April at Pont’a Pe Restaurant in Aljezur with this one here in Vale da Telha.”

The Army, Navy and Royal Air Force were all represented at the Christmas lunch by retired military personnel, some of them from Vale da Telha itself.

In some cases they were meeting for the first time and enjoyed swapping—sometimes literally!—war stories and reminiscences of their service.

In fact two former servicemen, who had not met before, discovered that they had served at the same time in the Middle East months apart some 50 years earlier, not just under the same commanding officer but in the same quarters!

And to make the coincidence even more incredible it transpired that back in England the daughter of one of them now lives in the same house where the other man lived as a boy.

The RBL’s Western Algarve organiser Sue Howe, who helped Vale da Telha residents—and RBL members—Leni and Phil Eves to set up the event, commented:

“Not only was this first lunch here on Vale da Telha highly successful as a fundraiser it was also a wonderful success from a social point of view, both of which fulfil our raison d’être.

“We are happy that this will lead to more similar events here on the west coast as the RBL in Portugal continues to grow.”

**Anybody interested in joining the Portugal branch of the Royal British Legion should contact Jacquie or Bob Collins.

Membership costs £20 or €24 per year and anybody wishing to “enlist” should contact Bob and Jacquie by e-mail on: rblportugalchairman@hotmail.com or on the telephone numbers 910983129 for Jacquie and on 918217197 for Bob.

ENDS