WHAT a spectacle was today’s Sea Sunday parade through Falmouth, but what a pity that the Falmouth RBL Standard was again absent.

Falmouth has an association with both the armed services and the merchant marine spanning many hundreds of years. This includes playing no small part in the events in Normandy of 70 years ago.

There has also been a branch of the RBL in town for over 80 years, but this is no longer the case because, I am told, apparently the powers that be have taken the unilateral decision to close it down, something proved by recent events – why?

The Royal British Legion is a well loved and respected national institution that does fantastic things for our armed service personnel, who in turn protect us from the bully boys of the world. But who protects us from the home grown bully boys like those who feel that they have the right to ride rough shod over the wishes of the people of Falmouth, and apparently occupy the Cornwall county office of the Royal British Legion. Some friends who for many years have been members of the Falmouth branch have been told that if they wish to remain members of the RBL they must join the branch in Penryn and have been issued with membership cards for that branch. Others who pay by direct debit and whose accounts were debited in October of last year have still not been issued with membership cards.

For such a situation to exist in this, a very special year, is disgraceful and needs to be thoroughly investigated and rectified as soon as possible, so that the Falmouth branch Standard can again take its place at the head of future parades in our town.

S Roberts,
Falmouth