Armed Forces Day marked in Newark Market Place

Hundreds of people packed Newark Market Place to show their support for the armed forces community on a day filled with live music and activities.

Newark held its annual Armed Forces Day event yesterday (Sunday, June 30) from 10am until 3pm.

The day commemorates the service of men and women in the British Armed Forces, from serving personnel and service families to veterans and cadets.

Over 100 military veterans and their families also attended the event which brought together the town and its military community with ages ranging from the youngest cadets to veterans who served in the 1940s.

The organising lead rotates every year between the three principal arms of the armed forces and this year it was the turn of the Royal Navy.

The event was kicked off by a performance from the RAF Cranwell Military Wives Choir which included a rendition of — We’ll Meet Again — outside the Town Hall.

At 11.30am the annual military parade left London Road carpark and headed to Newark marketplace.

It was led by the Royal Navy and was comprised principally of young people from the cadet sections of all 3 services and the Grimsby Sea Cadet Band.

Also on parade were military veterans, the regimental associations, Royal Naval Association, Royal Air Forces Association, Royal British Legion, and all the military standards.

Veronica Pickering the Lord Lieutenant inspected the parade, accompanied on the stage by Air Chief Marshall Sir Andy Pulford and Deputy Mayor Barbara Corrigan.

After the speeches and 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 took time in their day to visit the Polish graves at Newark Cemetery and lay wreaths at the General Sikorski statue which was unveiled last year.

Rowan Bosworth-Brown, the Armed Forces lead at Newark and Sherwood District Council said: “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.

“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.”

On the market, there was a variety of craft stalls and different armed forces also held information stalls.

There was live music from the Newark and Sherwood Concert Band and 40s singer Johnny Victory to entertain the public throughout the day.

The Community Development Team at Newark and Sherwood District Council and Newark Town Council hosted a buffet lunch in the Town Hall Ballroom for the veterans and their families.

Attractions included a Scalextric track for people to try alongside a Fox tank.