The founder of the Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch on supporting army veterans.
He never talked about it,’ Michael Hockney says of his father’s experience serving in the army during the Second World War, ‘but I do know that he saw some harrowing things towards the end when the Allies were breaking through and going into the prisoner-of-war camps.’
Instead, it was his time working as an adviser to the Ministry of Defence during the 1990s that first opened Mr Hockney’s eyes to the army and, in particular, the difficulties faced by some soldiers on their return to civilian life. Their plight prompted him to accept an invitation to join ABF The Soldiers’ Charity (originally the Army Benevolent Fund, founded in 1944) as a trustee. A few years later, he founded the annual Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch, which, next month, will be filling Guildhall in London for the 10th time as it raises money for the charity.
Curries are a staple of army messes and part of the Big Curry Lunch’s appeal is the informal, democratic aspect. ‘everyone sits at long tables on benches,’ explains Mr Hockney, ‘and there’s no seating plan—you could find yourself sitting opposite the Secretary of State for Defence or the Bishop of London.’ So far, the event has generated £1.55 million and both the Lord Mayor and Mr Hockney would love to see this year’s lunch take that total to £2 million.
Denne historien er fra March 15 2017-utgaven av Country Life UK.
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Denne historien er fra March 15 2017-utgaven av Country Life UK.
Start din 7-dagers gratis prøveperiode på Magzter GOLD for å få tilgang til tusenvis av utvalgte premiumhistorier og 9000+ magasiner og aviser.
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Kitchen garden cook - Apples
'Sweet and crisp, apples are the epitome of autumn flavour'
The original Mr Rochester
Three classic houses in North Yorkshire have come to the market; the owner of one inspired Charlotte Brontë to write Jane Eyre
Get it write
Desks, once akin to instruments of torture for scribes, have become cherished repositories of memories and secrets. Matthew Dennison charts their evolution
'Sloes hath ben my food'
A possible paint for the Picts and a definite culprit in tea fraud, the cheek-suckingly sour sloe's spiritual home is indisputably in gin, says John Wright
Souvenirs of greatness
FOR many years, some large boxes have been stored and forgotten in the dark recesses of the garage. Unpacked last week, the contents turned out to be pots: some, perhaps, nearing a century old—dense terracotta, of interesting provenance.
Plants for plants' sake
The garden at Hergest Croft, Herefordshire The home of Edward Banks The Banks family is synonymous with an extraordinary collection of trees and shrubs, many of which are presents from distinguished friends, garnered over two centuries. Be prepared to be amazed, says Charles Quest-Ritson
Capturing the castle
Seventy years after Christian Dior’s last fashion show in Scotland, the brand returned under creative director Maria Grazia Chiuri for a celebratory event honouring local craftsmanship, the beauty of the land and the Auld Alliance, explains Kim Parker
Nature's own cathedral
Our tallest native tree 'most lovely of all', the stately beech creates a shaded environment that few plants can survive. John Lewis-Stempel ventures into the enchanted woods
All that money could buy
A new book explores the lost riches of London's grand houses. Its author, Steven Brindle, looks at the residences of plutocrats built by the nouveaux riches of the late-Victorian and Edwardian ages
In with the old
Diamonds are meant to sparkle in candlelight, but many now gather dust in jewellery boxes. To wear them today, we may need to reimagine them, as Hetty Lintell discovers with her grandmother's jewellery
