Veterans of the armed services came together in a festive gathering.
The event was organised by Westmorland and Furness Council to show its commitment to those who have served their country.
Chair of Westmorland and Furness Council, Cllr Matt Severn, and Linda Jones, the council's Chief Legal and Monitoring Officer and Armed Forces Lead Officer, invited former Army, Royal Navy, and RAF servicemen and women to Kendal Town Hall.
The attendees shared memories over coffee and mince pies, commemorating their shared experiences.
Cllr Severn said: “This event arose from our chats with veterans on Remembrance Sunday.
"They have made such great sacrifices and borne huge burdens with grit, courage and humour.
"We wanted to give them a space to share their stories with council representatives and each other."
The event was promoted by the Kendal branch of the Royal British Legion via community groups on Facebook and its regular breakfast club at a local Wetherspoon's pub.
The branch's newly appointed chair, Chris Maycock, a retired Lieutenant Colonel and former Defence Attaché for Albania and Montenegro, said: “It’s so incredibly important that veterans are supported.
"It’s not that they are unique or victims, it’s the fact that a lot of veterans like to be with other veterans. There are lots of good things happening and we’d like to see functions like this happening more often.”
A highlight of the festive gathering was the mince pies supplied by Kendal’s Little Miss Bakery, owned by veteran Darren Hopton.
Paul Corrie, a former Regimental Foreman in the Royal Signals, lauded the council’s efforts to arrange such gatherings.
He said: “It means we can meet up with colleagues that you might only see once a year on Armistice Day. If anyone is maybe having difficulties with their mental health or their relationship, they can come here and have a chat with fellow colleagues who might be able to help.”
Former Royal Marine Gary Kniveton said: “It’s hopefully going to raise the profile of our veterans in the community, and the older veterans especially love to sit round the table and have a good old natter.”
A submariner of 12 years, Ken Ayre went on to build submarines at Vickers' Shipyard in Barrow.
He said: “The Captain used to have a religious service at the front end or by the torpedo tubes.”
Roast turkey for 60 men was cooked in a tiny galley and served to 'the boys' by the officers.
With an aim to foster a stronger bond within the veteran community, as well as practical support and guidance, Linda Jones hopes the gathering to be the first of many more to come.
She said: “We felt it was important to invite them for mince pies and to wish them Merry Christmas to thank them for everything that they’ve done.”
Westmorland and Furness Council demonstrated their acknowledgement of the contributions of armed forces earlier this year.
In June, the council leader, Councillor Jonathan Brook, signed the national Armed Forces Covenant, on behalf of the council.
This means the council recognises the value of serving personnel, veterans, Reserve Forces and military families, and that they will be treated fairly and not be disadvantaged by their military life.
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