Remembrance Day parades planned for PA, Makhanda

The Battleaxe Shellhole will hold a Remembrance Day parade at 3pm on Sunday November 12 at their headquarters behind the Rive & Ski Boat Club In Port Alfred.

The Moths of Makanakop Shellhole will host Makhanda’s annual Remembrance Day parade from 10.15am the same day at Church Square, under the leadership of Old Bill Andrew Kirk.

Members of the public are invited to join the Makana mayor, St Andrew’s pipe band and guard of honour; Kingswood band and the boy scouts of St Mary’s School at the Church Square commemoration.

There have been some exciting changes and additions to the Makhanda parade this year.

The recently established St Mary’s Primary scout group, under the tutelage of Moth Basil Mills, will be on parade as well.

The St Andrew’s pipe and drum band will lead the guard of honour platoons from the Drostdy Arch along High Street to Church Square. Extra chairs and tiered seating have been arranged. The pipe band will also march to Church Square and will be in full view of the audience. After the parade this guard of honour will march off along Hill Street and then dismiss at the Gino’s parking area.

Local pastor, Johan Beer will lead the service.

Trumpet player Ben Bezuidenhout will once again play The Last Post. Piper Chris Terry first played the lament at a Remembrance Day parade in 1963 when he was a grade 11 pupil at St Andrews College. Sixty years later he will play it one last time.

The Makana traffic department will close Church Square for vehicle traffic from 7.30am on Sunday November 12. Once the parade has been dismissed at around 11.30am, the streets will be reopened for traffic.