I was recently invited by the Lord Mayor of Nottingham, Councillor Mike Wildgust to Wooton Bassett for a memorial service, I received the invite in recognition of the work and support that I have given to V.C.’s throughout Nottingham and Nottinghamshire.

Ron Booth MBE - Wooton Basset Memorial Service

Ron Booth MBE & Lord Mayor of Nottingham Mike Wildgust and his wife Carol

Following this I was also privileged enough to be invited by Nottinghamshire County Council to their ‘Veterans Week’. It was a great day and the image below shows Lt. Colonel Merryweather raising the Nottinghamshire County Council standard.

Nottinghamshire County Council Veterans Week - Lt. Colonel Merryweather

It was a wonderful show and we both thoroughly enjoyed the evening.

During the intervals, volunteers were invited onto the stage to receive awards for their efforts. I was invited to be presented with an award and a certificate for the 45 years I have been volunteering with the NRSB, I felt very humbled and also extremely proud to be receiving such an award.

Mrs J Fisher - NRSB Chairperson & Volunteers

I have written a number of books covering a wide range of subjects and the monies raised from the sale of these I donate to help the Nottinghamshire Royal Society for the Blind, something that I have been doing since 1968.

I am being awarded an MBE by the Queen for ‘Services To The Community’, and I have to say that when I found out I was being named in the New Year’s Honours List I was completely – “Over the moon”.

The letter informing me of this great honour arrived on 20th November 2010 and I was unable to tell anyone – friends nor family. I’m sure that they understand but it was very difficult to say the least!

Read the full article in the Nottingham Evening Post – Read More

Ron Booth - New Years Honours

The invite was as a result of my work and writing for the Nottingham Evening Post, and also the memorial to the twenty Victoria Cross holders of Nottingham and Nottinghamshire that I had worked on for a great deal of time eventually gaining the recognition they truly deserved.

His Royal Highness The Prince of Wales and the Duchess Of Cornwall were in attendance, with many other dignitaries for this very poignant day. We we’re given a splendid view of the church, sitting overlooking the proceedings in all their glory.

After the service it was a most humbling experience to meet the men, both young and old, who had won the Victoria Cross or George Cross the highest awards given in the UK for galantry.

I was honoured to meet and chat with Johnson Beharry V.C., Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes G.C. and also Lance Corporal Matthew Croucher G.C., I was also introduced to a number of other officers of the forces.

Johnson Beharry V.C. & Ron Booth

Staff Sergeant Kim Hughes G.C. & Ron Booth

Matthew Croucher G.C. & Ron Booth

General William Cubitt C.B.E. & Ron Booth

With many thanks to Mrs Diddy Grahame and all those people I met on the day at St. Martin’s in the Field.

This was an experience that I will never forget.

Forty bikers formed a guard of honour as the first poppies of this year’s Royal British Legion Appeal in Nottingham were sold at County Hall.

Read more about the day here - Bikers & Poppies

Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal & Ron Booth

People from all walks of life are invited on the recommendation of a large number of national organisations who submit lists on a pre-arranged quota. For example, the government, Lord-Lieutenants and organisations such as the Civil Service, Armed Services, Diplomatic Corps, charities and societies, all have quotas for nominations. This ensures that a representative cross-section of the community is invited and that guests are generally people who have contributed a large amount to their various organisations or society.

Our Garden Party invite was received in recognition for my work with the Victoria Cross Memorial, charity work, volunteering and local community involvement all of which I have done for many years now with pleasure and for no gain other than helping to make a difference, even if only in the smallest of ways.

We were both very proud to be invited to the Garden Party and I for one shall remember it for all my days and will continue to work with those that need my help and support.

The Queens Garden Party 2010 - Buckingham Palace

When I arrived all the children and Mrs Straw their teacher were dressed in Victorian costumes. I was greeted with politeness, and they were thrilled listening how the children in the Victorian times, worked in the local colleries.

Some came to the front and dressed up with a miners light and knee pads. They all had a great time, including myself, and I gave each of the children a Yo-Yo to practice with at home.

A thank you present for being attentive.

I was given a bottle of wine and a school pen, by the staff and the children.

As you will read throughout my website and people that know me, the Victoria Cross Memorial is something extremely dear to my heart as my very own relative Anthony Clarke Booth was a holder of this honour.

I have personally been campaigning for a number of years to get local VC’s recognised and I have put in a great deal of time and effort into raising the funds by many different means and also via people’s belief and generosity. To see it in all its glory was fantastic and to have those brave men honoured as they should be made for a perfect day.

Due to my efforts with the Victoria Cross Memorial I have also been approached by another group of VC campaigners, that I am now helping to raise funds to get a memorial in place for  William Hackett V.C.

Through my efforts, the Nottingham Evening Post has published an article on William Hackett V.C. on Thursday 17th of June 2010. I am still collecting for the memorial, and have so far sent £140.00. My wife and I was invited to the ceromony on June 19th 2010, but unfortunately, we was unable to attend. The memorial will be officially unveiled on Saturday June 19th in Northern France. I was very pleased to receive a card from The Tunnellers Memorial Fund card from The Tunellers Committee, appreciating my support for their fund.

Please send donations to:
The Tunneller’s Memorial Fund, P O Box 258
Faversham, Kent, ME 13 AN

www.tunnellersmemorial.com

Victoria Cross Memorial Day - Nottingham Castle

Tennyson is a place very close to my heart as it was the school that I attended as a young boy so I have many memories of the building and surrounding area.

I also had the pleasure of presenting a cheque to local charity the Partnership Council as a token of my feelings for Tennyson, it’s fantastic to see it being put to such good use and helping people in the local area and beyond.

Ron Booth & Partnership Council Chairman Mick Stringer

We were amazed at some of the questions we were asked, and this was down to the teachers who were involved in the teaching the children of the Second World war.

In the afternoon we were invited in the School Hall to listen to the children singing some of the War time songs, and the speeches of Stanley Baldwin, and Winston Churchill.