Page 6 - Hunstanton Town & Around - July 2016

6 Hunstanton Town & Around July 2016 Tel: 01485 533422 email: editor@townandaround.net
Honours awarded to Hunstanton residents

Just one CBE (Commander of the Most
Excellent Order of the British Empire) was
awarded to a resident in East Anglia in the
Queen’s Birthday Honours List and that went
to Hunstanton’s John Crisford who served in
the Army for nearly 25 years and who has
until recently held the post of National
Chairman of the Royal British Legion. The
award was for voluntary service to Ex-
Servicemen and Women.
Locally, John has been a leading member
of the Royal British Legion with the
Hunstanton Branch, Sedgeford and District
Branch where he played a part in stopping it
closing in the early 2000’s and is also with
The National Aboretum Branch being a
founder member. In the wider community he
was a Hunstanton Town Councillor and a
founder member of the Hunstanton Concert
Band.
He was born in Jerusalem in 1940 where
his father was serving with the RAOC. (The
Royal Army Ordnance Corps) The family
moved to the United Kingdom via South
Africa and disembarked at Southampton in
1942. He attended The Duke of York’s Royal colleagues on the Board of Trustees and the Mayor of Hunstanton and the Deputy
Military School at the age of 9 and left to join members of staff of the Legion worldwide. Borough Mayor Cllr Carol Bower joined
the Army at the age of 15. However, the person I am most indebted to is David and his supporters on the Green to
His first 9 years of service was with the Band my wife Jean who has had to put up with long offer their congratulations.
of The Royal Horse Guards (The Blues) fol- periods of being on her own - she’s the star David said; “Hearing this news has made
lowed by 3 years with The Royal Electrical really!” me feel on top of the world, I do this because I
and Mechanical Engineers Staff Band and -o0o- want to help people, but I’ve had a great time
then the Royal Army Pay Corps. He served in Also from Hunstanton, popular veteran too!”
the UK, Germany and Kuwait. His service in fundraiser David Foulkes was awarded the Three local firms sponsored the event:
Kuwait was Loan Service with the Kuwait British Empire Medal in recognition of his Peter Gohegan of Hunstanton Bakery, The
Liaison Team. charitable efforts having raised over £50,000 Warehouse Clearance Shop and The Golden
Leaving the Army in 1981 John went on to for various charities including the Royal Lion where the event started and finished
work in Local Government, private industry British Legion and the RNLI over the years. with refreshments for all.
and finally with The Royal Mail here in Only hours after hearing he had received
Hunstanton retiring in 2005. He studied with the award the 74 year old embarked on a Photo from left: Jeannette Richardson,
The Open University and graduated with a fundraising walk around Hunstanton saying Manager of the Golden Lion Zoe Wright,
BSc(Hons). he had no plans to slow down yet. Rose Richardson, Barbara Sproule, Mayor of
Outside of work, John played Rugby As he began a fundraising walk around Hunstanton Cllr James Johnson, David
Union for many years, later continuing his Hunstanton for Scotty’s Little Soldiers on Foulkes, Deputy Borough Mayor Carol
association with the sport as a Referee and Saturday11th June, Cllr James Johnson Bower, Susan Scrafield and Jamie Gohegan.
was a member of The Rugby Football Union
Touch Judge Panel as the sport moved from
being an Amateur to a professional sport.
Married to Jean for 49 years, the couple
have two daughters and are grandparents of
two beautiful grandchildren.
After 48 years with the Royal British
Legion, John became National Chairman in
2013 taking up the role in the lead up to the
Anniversary of the First World War and the
70th anniversary of WW2. During his three
years of Chairmanship John led the huge
change programme known as ‘Pathway to
Growth’ which has revitalised the Legion for
the 21st Century and although change is not
always accepted by people because it disrupts
their daily routines, the change programme
has been universally welcomed by current
service people as well as the veterans and
what is more important is going to help the
Legion’s beneficiaries.
On hearing the news of the CBE John said:
“I feel very proud to be honoured in this way Best foot forward for David’s latest fundraising effort
and I know that in receiving it is due to my