Rayleigh and Wickford MP Mark Francois and South Basildon and East Thurrock MP Stephen Metcalfe met with a group of some 30 Veterans at a special breakfast on Armistice Day 11th November 2017. The Basildon Veteran’s Breakfast Club, which has now been running for several years, is one of over 200 such clubs around the country, where Veterans come together once a month to share a breakfast and enjoy comradeship, via their common link of having previously served in the Armed Forces.
Mark and Stephen were invited to the monthly breakfast that fell on Armistice Day and both MPs were very pleased to share a meal with the Veterans and have a chance to mingle and talk to them about their experiences.
Veterans were present from all three Services, the Royal Navy, the Army and the Royal Air Force and included among their number, one Veteran who had fought at D-Day and several who had fought in the Korean War in the 1950s, as well as those who have served more recently, including in the Falkland Islands.
Speaking about his and Stephen’s attendance at the breakfast, Mark Francois said:
“It was a privilege for Stephen and myself to have the chance to share a meal with so many men who have given their time in the service of their country. It was also poignant, as at 11am we observed 2 minutes silence and thought of those who have died for their country. The Veterans were a really jolly bunch and much banter was exchanged between them as well as with us as the MPs. Overall, it was a really enjoyable event and I hope we will be able to attend other breakfasts in the future. “