1988 350 sacks for Armenian Earthquake
From Lacey Green History
also click Dick & Brenda Williams for their life story
also click The Whip for more about the public house
1988. Report in the Bucks Free Press
More than 350 sacks of blankets and clothes collected in Lacey Green are on their way to help victims of the Armenian earthquake - thanks to the Free Press.
The bundles were stuck in the village post office because the flight to take the bags was cancelled and organisers were desperately trying to find a way to move them. But we put village landlady, Brenda Williams, of the village pub, The Whip Inn, onto the right people and a lorry picked up the much needed aid on Tuesday.
Mrs Williams said "We'd tried everything. I phoned the Daily Express and the Daily Mail to see if they could help but they couldn't.
You have saved us an awful lot of worry. Without you I think we would still have it over Christmas."
The good news followed a remarkable response by villagers in and around Lacey Green, who filled 350 large dustbin bags with vital blankets and clothes in just three days.
Mrs Williams said: " I mentioned the idea to a couple of customers and expected about 20 sacks full. But you have never seen anything like it - it just flooded in! I have never seen such a response from people - they have been absolutely fantastic. And it's not rubbish either. Some people have even labelled their stuff, children's clothes etc."
"Pupils and staff from St Teresa's School in Princes Risborough collected 40 sacks, RAF Strike Command in Walters Ash/Naphill gave 30 sacks and Lloyds Bank in Princes Risborough filled 6 of the bin-bags.
Everyone is amazed that we got so much from just a small village and putting the word round" said the publican who has run the pub for 13 years with her husband Dick.
"People came to the pub to give their contributions. Some people we had never seen before and a few travelled in from outside the village. But problems began when the flight company said it could not take any more relief to Armenia and the airport authorities at Hounslow closed down a warehouse because of the fire risk. We were desperate" said Mrs Williams.
"We had to store the sacks in the village post office and in a neighbours garage because we couldn't keep it anywhere at the airport. People were phoning from Oxfam and other charities to ask if they could have the blankets and clothes but it had been given for Armenians so we had to hold on to it.
It seemed such a shame that those people are freezing and I had tons of the stuff just sitting here for them".
But help was at hand when the Free Press put Mrs Williams in touch with the Armenian Advice Centre in London which took the sacks to its base in Acton to await a flight.
Mrs Williams added: "It's such a relief and lovely now that they have gone.