Sir Elton John concert

Sir Elton John teamed up with The British Forces Foundation to give away 360 free tickets to his concert in Newcastle.

 

The charity distributed them on a first-come, first served basis to personnel at nearby RAF Boulmer and Units at Catterick Garrison.

 

During the concert itself, Sir Elton paid tribute to servicemen and women, both past and present, acknowedgling the sacrifices they make.

 

Anne Russell, who works at RAF Boulmer and was at the concert, said: "Many of our Station personnel have completed tours in Afghanistan and Iraq, some more than once, and it is hard to be serving for long periods of time, separated from your loved ones. Sir Elton's remarks and his poignant song Oceans Away were very moving, and having spoken to people the following morning, was one of the highlights of the concert. The kind gesture of tickets was certainly a boost to morale."

 

Those sentiments were echoed by RAF Boulmer Officer Commanding, Group Captain Paul Atkinson, who said: "It is very rewarding when someone such as Sir Elton recognises the contribution our Armed Forces personnel make, and chooses to make such a big gesture. The concert was fantastic - and people were buzzing the following morning. Thank you."