South Wales’ dedicated celebration of the Armed Forces community is arriving in Caerphilly on Saturday June 24 with organisers promising a day full of entertainment.
The event, organised by a dedicated committee of volunteers and supported by Caerphilly County Borough Council, takes place in and around Caerphilly town centre.
It is the second year that the area will be celebrating Armed Forces Day, and the event will be sponsored by Oakdale-based defence firm, General Dynamics UK.
The day will begin with a parade through the streets of Caerphilly town centre at 11am, featuring hundreds of service personnel including representatives from the Royal Navy, British Army and Royal Air Force, as well as cadets and Armed Forces veterans.
The parade will work its way from St Martins School, along Cardiff Road and past the cenotaph, to Piccadilly lights and onto Nantgarw Road before coming to a halt on Crescent Road. Residents are encouraged to line the route to show their support for the hundreds of participants in the parade.
This will be followed by a special Drum Head Service at midday, held on Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields on Crescent Road, which will provide an opportunity for guests and visitors alike to remember those who have lost their lives in the line of duty.
Visitors will then be invited to an afternoon of fun at Owain Glyndwr Playing Fields, where the area will be taken over by an array of military and charity stands, demonstrations, an events arena, and a music stage.
At 1.50pm, a flypast from a Spitfire – the wartime fighter aircraft favoured by the Royal Air Force – has been planned, with a parachute display by Jump 4 Heroes scheduled for 3.30pm, weather permitting.
Phil Hubbard, Chair of the South Wales Armed Forces Day Committee, said: “I have no doubt that we will once again receive a warm welcome from residents and visitors to Caerphilly. We have a full schedule of events and entertainment taking place throughout the day to encourage as many people as possible to join us in celebrating Armed Forces Day”.
Caerphilly’s Armed Forces Champion, Cllr Alan Higgs, added: “We’re really looking forward to welcoming this fantastic event back to Caerphilly. Armed Forces Day provides us with a fitting opportunity to give our sincere thanks to those courageous individuals who serve or have served our country in military operations around the world. I’m sure our residents and visitors will turn out in their thousands to show their support”.
A free park-and-ride service is available from St Cenydd School between 9am and 6pm, with a park and walk facility operating from Y Gwyny School on Pontygwindy Road until 6.30pm.
Meanwhile, on Monday June 19, a preluding ceremony will be held in Blackwood.
A short parade led by the Royal British Legion will begin the ceremony, before coming to a halt in front of the stage on the Dragon Circle for the annual flag raising ceremony. Pupils from Bedwas Comprehensive and Lewis School Pengam will be providing musical entertainment.
The Mayor of Caerphilly County Borough Council, Cllr John Bevan, will be joined by the Lord Lieutenant of Gwent Brigadier Robert Aitken CBE, local school pupils and other dignitaries in the formal ceremony.
For more information on both events, visit www.southwalesarmedforcesday.org.
• To coincide with Armed Forces Day, a Caerphilly art gallery will be hosting a military-inspired exhibition.
Y Galeri Caerffili, which is located beneath the town’s Visit Caerphilly Centre, will be featuring work by Port Talbot artist Bert Evans depicting Armistice, armed forces, and military scenes, between Tuesday June 20 and Saturday July 22.
This is a really good event, I enjoyed it immensly in 2016. I just hope the weather is kinder, last year we all endured a soaking!
We can’t guarantee good weather,but we can guarantee a good turn out to show our Armed Forces Personnel our gratitude and support.