Remembrance Day parade is cancelled

A Cornish town has cancelled its Remembrance Day parade – on the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Saltash mayor Councillor John Brady said there will be no formal procession through the town honouring fallen war heroes on November 11 – because officials didn’t want children to go hungry or get cold.

The ex-serviceman said a Remembrance Service at The Church of St Nicholas and St Faith had been timed for 2pm to accommodate youngsters taking part in a planned pebble laying event commemorating the First World War earlier in the day.

Cllr Brady said any parade would therefore have had to be squeezed in during the late afternoon, which wouldn’t have been fair on families. A petition has been launched to put pressure authorities into organising one.

And he insisted: “Lots of events are going on during the day; lots of events. For the record, I have served 23 years in the Royal Navy. There is a pebble laying, to mark the First World War centenary, not arranged by the town council.

“That’s going on from 11.45am to 12.30pm. We have to take into consideration the children that will be out for most of the day, there will be lots of children around, it could be a very long and cold day.

“There are 141 pebbles to be laid; each child will come forward with a pebble; a minute per child to do it properly. The civic service is at 2pm and there’s probably no time for children to have a hot meal during those events.”

He said it was now too late to organise a parade because the necessary street closures hadn’t been authorised.

Dave Newman, Chairman of Saltash & District Royal British Legion, wrote on Facebook: “We would like to point out that the Mayor Councillor John Brady has decreed that there will be NO Parade this year on the afternoon of the 11th November.”