Show of support for Armed Forces
PARADE CHEERED ON ITS WAY
THE streets of a Nottinghamshire town were lined with people taking time out to show their appreciation to our servicemen and women on Armed Forces Day.
Soldiers and veterans marched through sun-kissed streets in Kimberley as part of the national day to thank the military for their service and dedication.
As well as the parade in Kimberley, a number of other events were held, including a special Proms in the Park concert in West Bridgford and a celebration at Baitul Hafeez Mosque in Sneinton.
The march in Kimberley was carried out by serving and veteran soldiers from 170 (Infrastructure Support) Engineer Group, who are based in Chetwynd Barracks in Chilwell.
They were alongside veterans from the Royal Engineers Association and were led by the Royal Engineers Reserve Band.
The parade was followed by a commemorative service in Hall Om Wong Park to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War.
As part of the service, wooden poppies were laid along a stream of planted poppies for soldiers from Kimberley who were killed in the war.
Colonel Pete Quaite, commander of the group, said: “The parade went really well and it was a glorious day for it.
“We got some great support from the residents of Kimberley and it’s always a privilege to be able to exercise our freedom to march through one of the parts of Broxtowe.
“It definitely makes it more special to do it on Armed Forces Day. Across the country there were marches and it’s great to be able to do and make the local community a part of that.
“This year we had our service as Hall Om Wong Park which was particularly poignant because they have the poppy fields there and it is 100 years since the end of the First World War.
“The poppies looked absolutely fantastic and it was a nice way to end the day.”
Roy Plumb, who runs a shop in the town and is also the vice-chairman of Kimberley Town Council, added: “It was an excellent day and went ahead with no problems.
“The event was well attended and everybody welcomed it. The street was lined from one end to the other.
“The service afterwards was lovely and with the poppies in the background it was marvellous.
“It was also very appropriate to hold the event on Armed Forces Day.”