2024 Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch: Uniting Communities to Support UK Veterans

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Written by jayargonaut

Good day good people😊. For 9 years now I have been helping, in a small way, to raise funds for the UK armed forces veterans through The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch. The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch raises funds for veterans and families of all the UK armed forces, providing crucial support and assistance to those who have served their country. The event brings together people from all walks of life, fostering a sense of community and solidarity in honoring the sacrifices and dedication of our veterans. I have had the privilege of witnessing the impact of these efforts firsthand, seeing the tangible difference it makes in the lives of those who have bravely served. It is truly heartening to be a part of such a noble cause, and I look forward to continuing to contribute to this important initiative for years to come, supporting our veterans and their families in every way possible.

This year, as some of you will know, I designed a unique watch that was raffled off to raise funds for this wonderful charity – The 2024 Waterloo Watch

Only one watch was made, and it was won by a lucky winner! The Waterloo watch was the only prize in a special draw. The watch was donated, so 100% of the funds raised from the draw will go towards supporting veterans in employment. I am happy to say this one prize raised a staggering five-figure sum to go towards this wonderful charity! 🎉💷🎉

The winning ticket for the raffle was drawn by the Lady Mayoress at a reception in the Mansion House last month. The Lord Mayor’s Big Curry Lunch dinner, held at Guildhall, is enjoyed by many hundreds of guests, all held to raise money for the charity. Here are some pictures of this year’s wonderful event:

The 2024 Lord Mayors Big Curry Lunch was attended by HRH The Princess Royal
The 2024 Waterloo special limited-edition watch. All designed, modelled, and rendered in Blender 4.0
The 2024 Waterloo special limited-edition watch. All designed, modelled, and rendered in Blender 4.0

All Big Curry Lunch photography by Pauliina Roots

Sadly, or fortunately, I am not in any of the pictures above, as I work hard at not getting my photo taken! So, just for fun, and to join in the celebrations visually, here is a celebratory-style picture of myself and my wonderful son ‘Freeman’…having a great time as we always do 😊✌️:

Me & Freeman😊

That’s it for this post, good people. I hope you all have a wonderful day and evening, wherever you are and whatever you are doing!

Kind regards, Jay

Jayargonaut

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37 Comments

  2. What a nice endeavor, Jay!! 😊 Love this! And what a great photo of you and your son! That’s awesome! 👏 👏 it’s always so great when we do things for charity and out of the goodness of our hearts, which you no doubt do! 😊 love the rest of the photos as well! 🙏

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    1. Thank you so much Laura😊. That is very kind of you to say🙏. Yes, I think this is the narrow but correct path, to help each other out…especially those in need, whoever they may be! In fact Laura, I have decided to start helping out another very needy Charity, one that doesn’t get much airtime unfortunately, by going on long walks/hikes! Partly inspired by our little conversation on hiking! So thank you for that inspiration Laura🙏. I hope you are keeping all well! Jay😊

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      1. Thanks Jay!! That’s so super nice of you! 😊 I’m so glad to have inspired that in our conversation, and wish I could do something similar here! It definitely sounds very nice! 👍 what’s the name of the charity? And yes I’m keeping well, I’m at work but other than that 😆 I’m doing all right haha

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        1. Hi Laura, you are most welcome😊. Thank you for the inspiration👍! We are going to start small and build up, and fitting these things into life can be difficult, but we want to do what we can! The Charity is called FOP Friends, part of a larger organisation called IFOPA, it supports research and aid into a very rare condition called Fibrodysplasia Ossificans Progressiva. Pleased you are all well Laura😊, and hope work is good. How is the Florida weather at the moment?

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          1. Jay! So sorry I didn’t see this until now! And you are welcome, always 😊 yes, I know there is only so much time for everything, right? I’ve heard of this condition, so nice you are supporting such a great cause! I think there’s only like maybe 200 people in the world with it, if it’s the one I’m thinking of.
            Florida is hot and rainy! Not my ideal lol 😂 what about where you are? Getting warmer, right?

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          2. Hi Laura, no apology needed😊. Yep, life can be busy! Yes it is a super rare condition, and hence certainly doesn’t get enough attention, so I want to do what I can, though small. Yes it has got warmer here now, but nice as we still have fair bit of cloud. We have had some hot days😎, but probably nothing compared to your Florida heat😄!

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          3. It’s hot here today, I’ll tell you that! 😂 And it’s only getting hotter! Some rain and clouds are certainly needed!
            And so nice you’re bringing awareness to the condition, I’m sure they are very grateful, and it is great work you are doing! Keep it up 😊

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      1. Hi Jay, thanks for the link. Now, I see it. A beautiful design! Yes, add photos to this post, it is your work, your donation! Have a great day. By the way, nice photo of you and your son too.

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        1. Hi Monica. You are welcome. Thank you for the kind compliments, I am glad you like it😊. And thank you for that wonderful compliment on the photo😊. I hope you have a wonderful day too!…Jay

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    1. No worries Darryl😎. I know frustrating isn’t it. I often make typos, and I like to have things correct. I have just had to become more Zen about it😌. Have a wonderful day my friend…Jay✌️

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    1. Thank you Janet😊, I appreciate your kind support . Yes it is a wonderful event really, especially if you like this type of thing. And, of course, it is all for a good cause! Kind regards…Jay😊

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  11. I’m fascinated by your creative designs and the detail you add to your work to make it unique and memorable. I, too, appreciate your graciousness in gifting this organization with your unique skill set so they might raise funds for this cause. It shows a real humility and generosity of heart. And yes, the picture of you and Freeman is wonderful. Like father, like son.

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        1. I am too in many ways Dayle😊. You can sign up to my blog at the bottom of any page, there is a subscribe section there. Thank you for subscribing in advance, if you do. And thank you for your kind comments. Best…Jay😊

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    1. Thank you very much usfman for your great comment😊. Yes, you are right, Brits do love this kind of thing. I think all the pageantry and tradition is a way of keeping history and standards over a long period, so I guess it serves a purpose. Thank you for your kind compliment. Jay👍

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