Tameside Veteran's Day Celebrations June 2008
Tameside Veteran's Day Celebrations
Victoria Park, Denton
Saturday 28th June 2008
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Text Only Version
Chaplain:
Good afternoon to you all and welcome. It’s a great privilege for me to conduct this service the beginning and because I come from Hyde but I am actually Chaplain to the Royal British Legion and I have served as a Chaplain. Okay so let’s begin.
Father of all mercies grant that our remembrance this day may consecrated for the practical service and the world made better for our children’s children. Amen.
Let us remember before God and commend to his sure keeping those who have died for their country in conflict, those whom we know and those whose memory we treasure and all who have lived and died in the service of humanity.
Speaker:
They shall grow not old as we that are left grow old. Age shall not weary them nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning we will remember them.
We will remember them. ‘Last Post’ – bugler Minute’s silence. Bugle.
When you go home tell ………………and say for your tomorrow we gave our today.
Chaplain:
Let us pray.
Most merciful and ever living God we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of the war into the peace of your presence. Grant that we being faithful till death may receive with them the crown of life that never fades through Jesus Christ, our Lord, Amen.
And now the hymn - it’s a slight variation on the one that you probably know. The first verse you know ‘Eternal Father Strong to Save’ but the other verses go on to remember the Army and the Air Force. It’s one that was written a couple of years ago with the additional verses and is now authorised by all the denominations. So ‘Eternal Father Strong to Save’ (sing hymn)
The peace of God which passes all other understanding keep your hearts and minds in the knowledge and love of God and of his son Jesus Christ our Lord. The blessing of God Almighty, the Father, the Son and the Holy Spirit be upon you and all those whom you love both near and far now and always. Amen.
Go in peace to love and serve the Lord in the name of the Father, Amen.
Music – ‘I’ve got a Gal in Kalamazoo’
Executive Leader of Tameside Council, the Civic Mayor and Mayoress of Tameside, Councillor Martin Wareing, Lord Pendry and Councillor Jackie Lane please if you would thank you.
Applause.
Martin Wareing:
Hello and good afternoon everybody. It looks like a garden party at Buckingham Palace. The setting for today is really wonderful and to have it in Victoria Park is a little bit special because this park has won many, many awards for Tameside and it’s a great pleasure because in that Square over there that’s where the 13th in the 1914-18 war and I wasn’t there at the time, but the 1914-18 war they used to march on there and parade on there and in the Second World War for a short spell they used the parade ground there so it’s nice to believe that today we’re honouring the Veteran’s Day the first Veteran’s Day in Tameside we have it in Victoria Park and there have been many memories, somebody up there looking down and saying well at least they’re remembering us and that’s great because we’ve fell behind on Veteran’s Day. In Australia and America it’s a big, big day in their nation, they respect those who went and fought for the country not just in the first war or the second war but in the many wars what’s been there have been lots of battles which the British soldiers and British women and, and I must say this, I can remember coming home on rest leave at Christmas in 1940 and Manchester was being blitzed and in that blitz Manchester was on fire but it wasn’t British soldiers what were putting the fires out it was ordinary working men and women who went to work and at night time it was called the A.R.P. and the Home Guard and what they did unselfishly was probably night after night that Christmas when the German planes ransacked Manchester, it was on fire, and there they were putting fires out and the bombs were dropping down. It was really heroic what they were doing and unfortunately, it’s sometimes only the services what get the accolades but take it from me those were civilians who fought for their country so on Veteran’s Day we should sometimes think a lot of people were involved in rescuing this country from what could have happened and what would have been disastrous.
I would like now to thank the people who’ve come today. We have lined up here we have MPs two MPs David Heyes and Andrew Gwynne, we have Lord Pendry who’s been a great support for Veteran’s Day, The Leader of the Council and fair do’s to him he’s supplied all the finance of this effort and in future years it will ………………right through Tameside, Ashton, Stalybridge, Droylsden will have their Veteran’s Day like we have in Denton. So I would like to thank all those who have taken part. I would like to thank the Events Team a little unknown department what does a tremendous amount of work in arranging things like this and they always do it well. Jackie here is the Chairman of it and she works tremendously hard and it’s absolutely a superb team who will ensure that Veteran’s Day will always be well respected so let me just tell you the other things what’s happening. In that far corner is the Community Centre and there’s tea and cakes on for you so we would like you to go there and look at that what we’ve done in Tameside and it’s absolutely come right for this day today Veteran’s Day where the Veterans can go in and have a cup of tea at any time and have a chat about the old days so thanks very much for coming along and best wishes to everybody who’s helped us. Thank you.
Applause.
Speaker:
Ladies and gentlemen a round of applause if you would please.
And now for the first performance of the afternoon can you please welcome to the stage Denton Brass Band.
Also if you want to get up and have a dance the dance floor’s there waiting for you don’t be shy.
Brass Band play.
Applause
On with the show ladies and gents and next I am delighted to welcome on the stage Laurie Brown. For the last five years Laurie has performed her show ‘A Salute to Dame Vera Lynn’ in venues around the UK and abroad, and I’m thrilled to have her here today so ladies and gentleman please welcome Laurie Brown
Applause
Laurie Brown:
When the northern lads used to come home on leave they always used to go down the pub for a good old few pints and a good old sing-along and here’s a few songs that they might have sung in those times so hopefully you’re all going to join in and raise the roof on the park and here we go. We’re going to start with ‘Bless Them All’ then we’re going to ‘Hang out the Washing on the old Siegfried Line’ then we’re going to ‘Kiss Me Goodnight Sergeant Major’ so if there’s any Sergeant Majors amongst us this afternoon, any bossy people out there (laughs). As loud as you can here we go.
Sings then applause.
Oh well done absolutely fantastic, well done.
Speaker:
And next up ladies and gents we have the fantastic dancing by the pupils of the Dance Emporium in Denton so ladies and gents can I have a nice big round of applause if you would please
Applause
Dancing to song ‘Music’
Applause
Ladies and gentlemen come on give a nice big round of applause Denton’s Emporium come on.
Absolutely fantastic. At least the weather’s keeping off for us this afternoon I’m not going to, I shouldn’t have said that really should I (laughs) keep your mouth shut Wayne, well if anyone would like any refreshments, free drinks are available from the Community Centre so if you’d like a tea or a coffee go and grab yourself a drink while we carry on with the show ladies and gents. Could you please put your hands together and welcome to the stage The Funky Feathers a team of professional dancers who are going wow you with their colourful and energetic performance, ladies and gentleman dancing come on give them a round of applause The Funky Feathers
Applause