SHE SOOTHED AND INSPIRED DURING BRITAIN’S DARKEST DAYS
mined to emulate the words of our founder and Keep Smiling Through.
“The charity has been severely hit by the coronavirus outbreak and is facing one of its toughest financial periods ever.
“We have adopted the same determination Dame Vera showed throughout her long life to continue to support our families and their very young children.
“The world around us has changed very quickly and in Dame Vera’s memory we urge you to support us so we can continue to adapt our service and have a positive impact on our families and their children.
In the same way Dame Vera provided positivity and spirit to the soldiers and their families during World
War Two, we here at her children’s charity would like to be able to help our families to continue to smile through this very troubling time.
“All the money raised will enable us to continue to provide help and support to our families through this crisis – the perfect tribute to a very special lady.”
Dame Vera was always optimistic her charity could bounce back.
She said: “I would be so upset if it were to close due to lack of funds after all the good work it has done over the years.”
You can support The Dame Vera Lynn Children’s Charity by making a donation at www.justgiving.com/ campaign/keepsmilingthrough
Legend .... an image of Dame Vera, above left, on the cliffs at Dover on her 100th birthday. Left, with her daughter Virginia, and right, in June 2019, the last time she was seen in public
HER unique voice was one of Britain’s most potent weapons against Nazi tyranny.
Her formidable character was a cherished symbol of national defiance.
The passing of Dame Vera Lynn is a sad moment, but it is also a reminder of her special place in our rich island story.
Apart from Winston Churchill, no one had a greater impact on war-time morale.
Her songs inspired and comforted, none more so than The White Cliffs Of Dover that so poignantly evoked a love of home and a yearning for a better tomorrow.
Dame Vera rightly became a cherished icon, an affection she never lost. It was telling that when the Queen made her famous broadcast at the height of the coronavirus crisis, she used the opening lyrics of Dame Vera’s other great hit, We’ll Meet Again, to evoke a mood of solidarity.
Dame Vera will probably go down in history as Britain’s most popular ever female singer, an astonishing achievement given that she began her career in the 1930s.
This extraordinary appeal was based on many factors.
One was her flawless, beguiling voice that mixed purity with power. Her sound transcended class and rank, though at one stage the BBC tried to take her off the air as they feared her sentimental ballads might undermine the robustness of the troops. Just the opposite was true.
Another key virtue was her authenticity. Born in the East End, daughter of a plumber, she never lost her common touch, retaining her Cockney accent and sense of humour.
Launching a Poppy Appeal with the Spice Girls in 1997, she called herself Old Spice.
She was brave too, undertaking a five-month war-time tour of Burma.
I am an Irishman, born in Belfast long after the war but I cannot listen to her singing without tears welling up.
For me, as an Anglophile, she encapsulated the spirit of England.