Salute our services in city centre tomorrow
LEICESTER will be able to show its appreciation for the armed forces with a dash of pomp and splendour this weekend.
The city will host a parade on Armed Forces Day tomorrow for the first time since 2019.
Led by the pipes and drums of the Seaforth Highlanders, the 400-strong parade of service personnel, veterans, reservists and cadets will set off from Jubilee Square at 10.30am.
The parade route will take in High Street, Gallowtree Gate and Horsefair Street, before making its way to Green Dragon Square.
Crowds there will be entertained by the Corps of Drums from 10.45am, before a fly-past by a single Spitfire at 11.16am will signal the start of a 30-minute service led by the Bishop of Loughborough, Saju Muthalaly.
In 2020 and 2021, the cathedral service, parade andthe flag-raising at County Hall, in Glenfield, were replaced with a streamed events.
Lord Mayor, Councillor George Cole, said: “Let’s show our service men and women how much we appreciate them by lining the parade route on Saturday,
“Armed Forces Day is an important opportunity to show our support – and it’s also an opportunity to enjoy the spectacle of a marching band and a military parade, right here, in our city centre.
£After missing the last two years due to Covid, we are delighted to acknowledge the work of our armed forces, both past and present, and to welcome them back to Leicester.”
Work at Leicester Cathedral means a Drumhead Service – a traditional service held in the field, in which regimental drums are placed together to form an altar – will replace it in Green Dragon Square.
Assistant mayor, Councillor Vi Dempster, the council’s armed forces champion, said: “Both my parents served in the forces, so I know the sacrifices that our servicemen and women make to serve our country.
“In a city as diverse as Leicester, we don’t need reminding of the huge role played by our Commonwealth partners in various conflicts over the years.
“Armed Forces Week gives us an opportunity to show our gratitude to all of those brave men and women, from Britain and beyond, who continue to play such a vital role in the security of our country”.
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