Last year in Normandy, four intrepid cab drivers and I agreed to do a tandem parachute jump with the Red Devils in aid of the Taxi Charity for Military Veterans.
Subsequently two of the charity’s collectors, (Mike Smith, a Chelsea Pensioner and Bill Parr, a Korean War veteran) decided to join our group, appropriately called Team Be Lucky. The aim was to raise at least £4,000 for the charity in this, its 70th anniversary year.
Mike was doing his 99th jump, and indeed is hoping to do his 100th on 18th September. Astonishing!!!
The four cab drivers were Brian Heffernan, Dean Euseden, Michael Calvey (who is also hoping to jump again next month) and Jon Southcott, all of whom are staunch supporters of the charity.
The jump took place at the Langar Airfield in Nottinghamshire on one of the hottest days of the year at the end of July.
Sitting in a bar in Normandy making this plan a year before was a very different feeling from actually being kitted out on the day and I think it is only fair to say that we all had our share of nerves.
Fortunately everything went off without a hitch, (fortunate indeed as we jumped from 14,000 feet!) and we felt very proud of having seen the whole project through.
Jon Cox kindly came up to film part of the proceedings and some of you may have seen excerpts on social media.
So far the £4,000 figure has been easily surpassed.
Thank you to all who have already donated.
If we could reach £7,000 that would be a fantastic achievement – the donate page doesn’t close until 30th September and can be found by clicking on the link below.
Frances Luczyc Wyhowska