Old friend of this blog and highly respected Brownhills Royal British Legion member John Bird  wrote to me some time ago asking why our MP, Wendy Morton, only ever seemed to attend Aldridge’s Remembrance Service on Remembrance Sunday morning and not Pelsall or Brownhills (she also usually attends the Walsall Wood one, which unusually is always in the afternoon).

I said then, and I still agree: This is a very good question.

Remembrance is a proud event for all our district communities. Image of Walsall Wood war memorial kindly supplied by David Evans.

John is a fine campaigner and gentleman, and I have featured articles from him before on the subject of our MP’s attendance at Remembrance in Brownhills, regarding Remembrance parade funding and other topics.

Recently, you’ll recall I posted that John and the legion received a cheque in support of the branch from the family of Eddie Fallon, a loyal local Legion member.

John has been in touch since his first communication about Remembrance Sunday attendance to push the issue and raise it with local Councillors.

I know with current evens this may seem like a minor thing but it’s worth asking and thinking ahead: Pelsall and Brownhills have beautifully respectful and well attended Remembrance services and our citizens, be they serving, ex forces or civilians surely deserve the same treatment as Aldridge and would like their elected Member to share their act of Remembrance?

I will keep asking this question as Wendy Morton’s office seem quiet on the matter.

John Bird wrote:

Will Wendy Morton attend Brownhills Remembrance Sunday Service this year?

Last year I appealed, using Brownhills Bob’s blog, to Wendy Morton MP together with Councillors Stephen Craddock and Ken Ferguson, to explain why the Member of Parliament for the constituency of Aldridge and Brownhills only attends the Remembrance Sunday Service at Aldridge.    To date no explanation has been forthcoming.

There were a number of contributors in support of my appeal. It was also suggested that it may be fair to all other Branches of the Royal British Legion if she were to attend each of the other services in the constituency in turn each year.

So, may I remind those involved, that you only have approximately nine months to make contact with each of the branches to make the necessary arrangements to achieve a fair solution to my appeal, after all she is the elected MP representing all of Aldridge and Brownhills.

Needless to say, I will leave it to you to decide which Branch is chosen for this for this year, other than Aldridge.

                                                                          John Bird. Brownhills.

I do think this is a valid question, and is not political in the slightest.

Comments are open here on the matter, and I welcome a reply from local councillors – you have the floor.

Comment on this post or mail me please – BrownhillsBob at Googlemail dot com. Thanks.

Again, thanks to John for making an excellent, thoughtful point.