CELEBRITY SUPPORTERS
I’m proud to have served in
the British Army and want our brave soldiers, sailors, airmen and women to know how proud we all are of
them. It’s so important for us to recognise
and celebrate the Armed Forces and the work they are doing right now in Afghanistan and elsewhere. That’s why it’s great having an Armed Forces Day
– Dame Kelly Holmes
Mum, the latter concerning the misadventures of a group of soldiers providing entertainment for an army barracks in India and Burma. You may be surprised to learn that George Formby,
with his little ukulele in his hand, was amongst the first to land on the beaches of Normandy on D-Day 1944, giving an impromptu performance within three hours of landing to the men of the US 6th Airborne Division. Just eight days after that first dramatic landing,
I am so looking forward to the Forces events in June and am also so excited to be taking part in the events being held in Cardiff, where I live.
It is only right and fitting that we celebrate the men and women of the Armed Forces, past and present, especially as things stand at the moment in the world arena. Never has the acknowledgment of all that they do for us been so vitally important as today. I hope that all who can, come and celebrate and show their appreciation for all that the servicemen and women do. Please make this a regular appointment in your calendar – Simon Weston OBE, war veteran
I am delighted to support the Armed
Forces to reflect the high level of public support and appreciation of our brave men and women. I have had a long-held admiration for the work of our Armed Forces and feel they deserve our deepest respect and affection. Like all sectors of British society, my
industry owes a great debt to those who defend our freedom. We salute their courage in defending such freedoms as having the opportunity to express ourselves through fashion and to less developed nations. I am the daughter of an Army officer who
served in the Coldstream Guards so it means something special to me. I also have many friends serving in and retired from the Armed Forces so I know first hand what sacrifices they and their families have to make. I think if you are in the Army you learn to
no fewer than 144 artists made their way to the Normandy beaches. Yet more ENSA parties landed in France from July 24, 1944, and Gertrude Lawrence and Margaret Rutherford were among these early performers. The different groups of entertainers followed the armies closely through France, Belgium, Holland, and into Germany. According to Basil Dean,
an Old Vic Company with Sybil Thorndike, Laurence Olivier and Ralph Richardson played in the Schauspielhaus in Hamburg two weeks after the German surrender. Shortly after the end of World War II in Europe,
ENSA was superseded by Combined Services Entertainment (CSE), which now operates as part of the Services Sound and Vision Corporation (SSVC). SSVC is a British registered charity set up to ‘entertain and inform Britain’s Armed Forces around the world’. This great tradition of troop entertainment has
endured, with many of our celebrities – including film and TV stars, musicians and pop stars, sportsmen and women, and business leaders – continuing the time-honoured tradition of giving their wholehearted support to our serving Armed Forces at home and overseas. Many have wanted to show their support, not only for the Forces themselves, but also for this new initiative, now in its second year, Armed Forces Day. They show their support in the many tributes that follow. •
respect other human beings and your greater environment. I do believe you are a better person for it. Armed Forces Day is
a fabulous way of showing support and I think there should be much more of that. In the Second World War, every single person was affected, so when the Armed Forces came back, the whole country supported them. I think we should still support them every step of the way. Whatever you think about Afghanistan,
I know the region and have utter respect for the work the soldiers do in bringing democracy, opportunity and freedom to the people there. And of course I love a man in uniform!
– Susannah Constantine, of fashion duo Trinny and Susannah
SSCV Forces Cinema
The Services Sound & Vision Corporation (SSVC) has provided and operated cinemas for the British Forces for more than 50 years. It was originally under the banner of the Army Kinema Corporation and the RAF Cinema Corporation, both of which joined forces to become the Services Kinema Corporation, or SKC. Today, the ‘circuit’ consists of 18 cinemas: 7 in Germany, 6 in the UK and Northern Ireland, 3 in Cyprus and 1 in the Falklands, and a mobile cinema, The Movie Machine, in the Balkans. All cinemas are run in partnership, with revenues split between the film distributors, military units and SSVC. The service provided by SSVC includes all film selection and negotiation, full marketing and publicity support, scheduling to individual unit requirements, freight, engineering support and complete financial management and distribution of revenue.
During the 1990s,
wide-ranging improvements were introduced to offer customers the complete cinema experience – new modern projection and sound equipment, well-equipped foyers and kiosks, and most importantly, West End films within 6-8 weeks of general UK release.
SSVC recognises the important role that cinemas play in the military community and the improvements in design and technology have led to an upsurge in attendances. SSVC continues to keep abreast of the latest industry developments and offers military units free advice on all aspects ranging from location, building, equipment, financial planning and programme supply.
For more information visit
www.ssvc.com
www.armedforcesday.org.uk SHOW YOUR SUPPORT 73
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