A Bridlington couple who travel up and down the country by rail raising funds for the Poppy Appeal are taking on their biggest poppy selling challenge to date. Denis and Barbara Scaife last year raised £37,000 for the Royal British Legion, by travelling up and down the East Coast Main Line over 48 hours selling poppies. Their newest challenge launched at Hull station on Wednesday, where they caught the 08.36 Hull Trains service to London to begin their fundraising.
This year, in the space of two days, they’ll be travelling further than ever. Their route spans from Hull to London, then up to Stirling. They’ll then travel on to Edinburgh, then London and Retford. The couple will be selling poppies throughout these journeys to anyone they meet along the way. The journey will cover around 1000 miles, and also marks the first time in the history of the Poppy Express that it will also raise money on the West Coast, rather than just the East Coast.
A brass band attended to see them off in Hull, and there will be help from some VIP guests along the way. Denis, 75, will also get a chance to fulfil his dream of sitting in the driver’s cab. A former Non-Commissioned Officer (sapper) with the Corps of Royal Engineers, Denis started the Poppy Express eleven years ago with just him and his wife. It has now grown into an annual challenge with a number of volunteers travelling along the East Coast Main Line to raise money every year.
Denis has faced some major health problems this year, but is still determined to raise money for a good cause. He suffers from PTSD and has been open about his experiences with mental health.
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