Posted on 1st Jul
To mark Armed Forces Day, Newark hosted a military parade and event, which was launched by the RAF Cranwell Military Wives’ Choir.
A military parade was led by the Royal Navy and comprised principally of young people from the cadet sections of all three Services and the Grimsby Sea Cadet Band.
Also on parade were military veterans, regimental associations, Royal Naval Association, Royal Air Forces Association, Royal British Legion, and military standards. Veronica Pickering, the Lord Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, inspected the parade, accompanied on stage by Air Chief Marshall Sir Andy Pulford and Newark deputy mayor Barbara Corrigan.
After speeches and a parade inspection, the Armed Forces Day flag was lowered by Royal Navy veteran Peter Wilderspin, performing a ceremonial duty he last completed in 1949.
The event was also attended by representatives from the Polish Consulate and the Polish Cultural Institute, who visited the Polish graves at Newark Cemetery and laid wreaths at the General Sikorski statue, which was unveiled last year.
The Community Development Team at Newark and Sherwood District Council and Newark Town Council hosted a buffet lunch in the Town Hall Ballroom for more than 100 veterans and their families. There was entertainment from 1940s-style singer Johnny Victory.
In the Market Place, Newark and Sherwood Concert Band performed a patriotic and rousing musical set.
“It’s important we remember and honour the great contribution that our veterans, young and old, have made. Our district has one of the highest concentrations of military veterans in the country. So, by having this event in Newark we can show our support for this important community,” explained Rowan Bosworth-Brown, Armed Forces lead at the district council.
“We are proud, as an employer, to have signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant and really welcome the contribution our veterans continue to make to our district every day.
“We must also thank the Royal Naval Association who led the event, as well as the Town Council and Ministry of Defence, who worked hard to make this day a success.”
