Tuesday, June 20 was the Armed Forces Day Parade in Spalding town centre and many colleagues from all over Lincolnshire attended the event.
Ex-service associations, councillors, mayors and Ayscoughfee Hall School marched in the town centre.
Special thanks to Julie in the market for her help with decorating the area with British and Ukraine flags as we stood for the service.
Thank you to Colin, our parade marshal, for helping with officiating the parade; a difficult job but we did it.
Thank you to all the staff at the Red Lion Hotel who provided everyone with tea and coffee, everyone was very grateful to you for doing this.
Also to Bev Paskell and her team from SHDC for looking after the music and stage for us to perform, a massive job, thank you.
The Rev Aileen Workman gave a short service and prayers in the Market Place, you could hear a pin drop as the parade and public stood to attention.
Lincolnshire’s Deputy Lord Lieutenant William Webb read a passage in the service and went on to thank everyone involved, thank you both for your help.
Thanks also Chrissie Molsom for organising the wonderful team from LIVES, for being there for me, your presence at the parade is so important, alongside your quick actions on the day.
Our front bearers were the Royal British Legion standard bearers, councillors, mayors and dignitaries.
The serving personnel said it was an honour and a privilege to participate in such a momentous occasion and it is a testament to the character of the town’s residents in their resounding support of the Armed Forces and something we should be immensely proud of.
It was also good to see all the veterans from many different organisations and of course their amazing standard bearers.
Thank you to Alan Canham for your help with the standards, such a privilege to have you all there.
The Spalding Cadets stood out and made us all proud to see them march in our town.
Thank you to Insp Waters and his officers and Jim Tyner for supporting us once again, you never let us down.
I sincerely hope the young students enjoyed the morning and they could see how important their role was and of course thank you to parents and teachers who joined us and for allowing this to happen.
The piper and bugler certainly helped to make the procession and service special.
A poignant moment came when Helen Verney sang Bring Him Home and the Ukrainian National Anthem was sung by Oksana Poniada who also performed in church for her country, as well as Helen singing a medley.
Ayscoughfee Hall School students sang the National Anthem and the Parish School Choir entertained us in church, a great job by all the children, their singing was beautiful.
Thank you to all county, mayors and district councillors who attended, especially Coun Jack Tyrrell and his team who supported me, helping me to make this event possible and to everyone who came and joined in the march.
Thanks to chairman of SHDC Coun Andrew Woolf who led the dignitaries on this auspicious occasion and for supporting the Armed Forces flag raising on Monday morning with our veterans.
Many thanks to Mary Bennett and Spalding’s St Mary and St Nicolas Church ladies who very kindly organised the refreshments at the end of the event, wonderful as always.
My final thank you is for the Deputy Lord Lieutenant William Webb and his wife Jane for coming, giving a vote of thanks to everyone and presenting the King Charles III coin, as well as our Police Crime Commissioner Marc Jones who also presented the King’s coins to serving personnel, it was a honour to have you both with us.
If you would like to know more about the Remembrance Parade in November or would like to be a part of it, please email [email protected] or call 07779 895388.
Jan Whitbourn
