Britain’s Got Talent winner Colin Thackeray has received a hero’s welcome in Angus.
The singing Chelsea Pensioner captured the heart of the nation to win the television talent show in 2019.
And the 92-year-old warmed up for his part in the weekend’s Festival of Remembrance at Dundee’s Caird Hall with a guest appearance at Carnoustie Legion.
The Angus branch hosted Korean War veteran Colin during his time in Tayside.
Branch chairman Davie Paton is also Legion Scotland’s national vice-chairman and said it was an “honour” to welcome the nonagenarian star to Angus.
Teenage standard bearer’s thrill to meet 92-year-old
And he took particular delight in a meeting between Colin and Carnoustie’s youngest Legionnaire, 18-year-old Jacob Downie.
The former Carnoustie High School pupil is the branch standard bearer, and probably one of the youngest in Scotland.
He has already devoted many hours to cleaning war graves in Carnoustie’s Shanwell cemetery and elsewhere.
Jacob revealed the family link behind his passion for military history.
“When I was younger my great-gran gave me a shoebox containing the medals of my great-great uncle,” he said.
“He served in the Hood Battalion, the infantry division of the Royal Navy, and was killed in 1917.
“We lost about ten members of the family on my mother’s side during the Great War so military history is something I feel very passionately about.
“The Legion was my chosen charity at Carnoustie High School,” said Jacob.
Living historian
He’s also a member of the living history group Scots at War.
“It’s a very good group and we carry out re-enactments of military life, including that of the Black Watch.
“And I take great pride in being the Carnoustie Legion branch standard bearer.
“It’s important to me because without the future generations the Legion will just die.”
He says the chance to meet Colin was a great thrill.
“It’s really exciting for Carnoustie to be able to host Colin.
“I watched him on Britain’s Got Talent so to be able to meet him and speak to him as a veteran is great for me.
“I love what I do with the Legion and my ambition is to have a military career.
“I’m joining the Royal Naval Reserve and then hopefully after two years, there will go full time.
“I think I owe it to my family and the generations before us to do that.”
Branch chairman Davie Paton said: “For his age Jacob has an unprecedented military knowledge.
“He gives so much of his time to military re-enactments and cleaning Commonwealth war graves and is such an asset to our branch.
“It has been a joy to host Colin and welcome him to Carnoustie Legion, and a great privilege to be able to introduce him to Jacob.”
Colin served as a Sergeant Major in the Royal Artillery and says he will continue to support the Legion and Poppy appeal as long as he is able.
“I cannot march anymore, but will always come and sing when asked.
“Remembrance is very important to me – it gives me the opportunity to think about the chaps who never made it home from the Malaya and Korean conflicts.
“I also think about the recent wars and those who find themselves in need of a friendly face.”
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