THE Armed Forces were celebrated in Pershore with an evening gala.

For Armed Forces Day, a march from Pershore Abbey to The Angel Inn and Posting House was led by the St Andrews Pipe band.

The band was followed by the Union Standard, standards of the Royal British Legion, Royal Naval Association, Sea Cadet Corps and Army Cadet Force and the rear of the parade was brought up by a dodge command car.

There then followed the raising of the Armed Forces Day flag, by the branch chairman, Simon Dudfield.

The Vice Lord Lieutenant, the Honourable Lady Morrison, then opened the event before the presentation of the Legion d’honneur to branch veteran, Harold Wilson, by the director general of The Royal British Legion, Charles Byrne.

The branch padre, Revd. Claire Lording, concluded the formal part of the event with a memorial service.

She had that morning returned from a trip to Africa although her luggage went to Amsterdam.

The St Andrews pipe band kicked off the entertainment with a static display which was followed by the junior cadets of T.S. Scimitar, Sea Cadet Corps, who gave a demonstration of semaphore by spelling out “We are T.S. Scimitar”.

Perfect Vintage, a 1940’s husband and wife duo, performed the first of their 2 musical stints followed by Dutch Lewis’ first set of 3.

Static displays were formed by No. 214 Worcester Battery, Royal Artillery, Mike Egan’s First World War and Second World War military memorabilia, The Royal British Legion Bikers, military vehicles, Worcestershire Regimental Association and of course, The Royal British Legion.

The evening was rounded off by a firework display fired to military music to honour heroes past and present.

The display was provided free of charge to the Legion by Corporate Media Display.

Simon Smith, operations director, is ex-military where he learnt his trade and has fired displays all over Europe for celebrities and large organisations and said he was delighted to be able support Pershore’s Armed Forces Day.

The branch thanked Mr S Collins, Thompson and Bancks Solicitors and Vic Haines Transport Limited for their donations to enable the event to take place and also to Pershore Round Table for their help and to Pershore’s local police.

All proceeds from the event are to go to the branch’s 2018 Poppy Appeal.