The Post interviews
Royal British Legion Kingsbridge and District Branch
Ken Court PRESIDENT OF KINGSBRIDGE RBL AND LONGEST SERVING POPPY SELLER
How long have you been with Kingsbridge RBL? I’ve been a member since 1971 and almost immediately joined the committee and got involved with the annual Poppy Appeal. I’ve been president for 14 years.
What made you join? I was invited by the membership secretary at the time. He called on my father to join and, as I was in the house at the time, I also got involved. We lived in the Westville part of Kingsbridge then and they were looking for someone to do the house- to-house Poppy Appeal collections.
How long have you been involved with the Poppy Appeal? My first year of collecting was in 1971. I’ve received my 35, 40 and 45-year badges for collecting. This year will be my 48th year with the Poppy Appeal. I did door-to-door collections in Westville until I moved away, then street collections in Fore Street. For the past three or four years I’ve been collecting at Morrisons.
Have you noticed any changes in people’s responses to the Poppy Appeal over the years? We’ve always had a great response from everyone in Kingsbridge and that’s stayed fairly stable over the years. Last year at Kingsbridge we raised £20,000 just selling poppies. Across the country The Poppy Appeal raises millions of pounds for the welfare of service and ex service personnel every year. What has been very noticeable attending all the Remembrance services since 1971 is how the crowd has increased enormously. Last year, for the centenary, it was the biggest
ever. It’s difficult to know how far it can go as it’s showing no signs of slowing down.
Do you have any connections to the armed forces? I did my National Service in the RAF in London, from 1958 to 1960. I was one of the very last to do national service as it ended in 1960. I’m Kingsbridge born and bred, my ancestors too, so it was a break in my life and quite an experience that broadened my outlook. I was glad to get back to Kingsbridge afterwards though. I think it’d do a lot of youngsters now some good to spend two years doing National Service – give them a bit of discipline and also an adventure in their life.
Are you involved with any other clubs and groups in the town? I’m involved in several other organisations. I’ve been a member of Kingsbridge Feoffes for nearly 40 years and chairman for many of those years. The Feoffees is a centuries- old charity that provides affordable rented accommodation to local people and general help to those in need. I’m also a trustee of Dodbrooke Feoffees and Kingsbridge Community College Trust, where I’ve been chairman for 16 years.
What’s your favourite thing about Kingsbridge? Having been born and bred here one accepts the environment I live in just as well as anywhere. I’m very happy living here. I was very pleased to come back after national service in London and had no desire to live elsewhere.
What did you do before retirement?
When I finished my National Service I returned to my former job as senior assistant to a local Architect and Surveyor. Eventually in 1970, when my employer retired, I became a joint principal of the firm. There were many peaks and troughs but in recent years we’ve seen houses around here going sky high. I guess it was always inevitable being such a popular holiday destination and surrounded by so much natural beauty. I remember years ago we were shocked about a property on the Salcombe waterfront going for £3,000! It’d probably be more like a million now.
What’s your favourite spot in Devon? I used to walk a lot on Dartmoor and still go up there. I especially like it around Holne and Hexworthy.
And your favourite holiday destination? I’ve done a lot of travelling since I retired, mainly in the South West states of America – in California, Utah, Colorado and Nevada. I love visiting the deserts because I have a lifelong hobby growing cacti. I now have around 500, and have been a member of the British Cactus and Succulent Society for years. We’ve also taken a round the world trip covering the West coast of the US, Fiji and New Zealand, which was lots of fun.
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