Royal British Legion centenary celebrations
The community from Machynlleth joined forces with members of the Royal Air Force on Saturday to mark the 100th anniversary of the Royal British Legion and to celebrate the 100th birthday of the Machynlleth branch, one of the oldest branches in the UK.
To mark the double centenary, Y Plas Machynlleth was home to numerous events and activities, all organised by the Machynlleth branch.
Royal Air Force Corporals Daniel Holt and Josh Billingham and Senior Aircraftman John Jones took part in live cooking demonstrations. The trio whipped up various recipes from the RBL’s Centenary Cookbook, Cooking With Heroes. Visitors on the day were treated to Cypriot chicken kebabs, Swansea warm Welsh cakes, and Fermanagh ‘Fifteens’ – a no bake treat especially for children to enjoy.
Since forming in 1921, the Machynlleth branch has been at the heart of its community, and numerous local residents took part celebrating the branch’s centenary year.
Visitors, including members from the RBL’s Riders Branch, were also treated to a music from the Machynlleth-based wind band, who played the RBL march and many other well-known military tunes and marches.
Chairman of the branch, Steve Doyle is a British Army veteran who served in the Royal Regiment of Scotland and organised the event.
“It was brilliant to bring so many people together to celebrate our 100th birthday. The anniversary was one that I’ll hold dear in my memory, and the event was a huge success. Since forming 100 years ago the Machynlleth branch has really been there for its community, and we hope to do be for the next 100. Thank you to everyone who attended the day to celebrate our centenary with us," he said
With 100 years of experience, the RBL continues to provide lifelong care and support to all serving and ex-serving personnel and their families. This ranges from expert advice and guidance, to recovery and rehabilitation, through to transitioning to civilian life.
