Veterans club together for breakfast catch up in show of solidarity

Friendships are being forged over the breakfast table as veterans gather at a new club.
Former soldier Rob Moore and other veterans at their weekly breakfast club at Cafe Eden, Castle Dene shopping centre, Peterlee.Former soldier Rob Moore and other veterans at their weekly breakfast club at Cafe Eden, Castle Dene shopping centre, Peterlee.
Former soldier Rob Moore and other veterans at their weekly breakfast club at Cafe Eden, Castle Dene shopping centre, Peterlee.

Ex-servicemen and women are invited to join in the get together at Cafe Eden in Peterlee each Saturday morning, giving them the chance to meet mates, make new ones and be part of a group with a shared experience.

Those who need help and advice over housing and health have also been able to find support through each other.

People still serving are also welcome.

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Former Royal Corp of Signals radio operator Rob Moore, 52, from Peterlee, helps organise the East Durham Veterans’ Breakfast Club, which starts at 9.30am.

Rob said: “I’d been thinking about it for quite a while because I was aware there had been veterans’ breakfast clubs springing up around the country, so I started asking people if it was a good idea.

“It’s a group set up for a bit of craic and banter, to support each other and a chance to meet other veterans.

“It’s all very informal, we go to the cafe, all sit around the table together, have a good laugh and have a catch up about what we’ve been up to that week.

“We’ve all got our own experiences to talk about.

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“We like Cafe Eden because a couple of the guys said it was a good idea to support a local business and it does a good breakfast too.

“We’ve had one woman who is still serving coming along, she’s 22 and in the Royal Air Force, and the oldest is 74.

“Some are retired, but most still work and we’ve got somebody who is a steel worker, a fitter, a tool maker and a builder.

“It’s like a meeting of minds.”