Spitfire to fly over Morecambe on Armed Forces weekend

Morecambe Armed Forces Day Parade at Clock Tower on Marine Road Central with a service held at The Winter Gardens Theatre.
Pictured are the veterans parade.
28th June 2015 — Morecambe Armed Forces Day Parade at Clock Tower on Marine Road Central with a service held at The Winter Gardens Theatre. Pictured are the veterans parade. 28th June 2015

Events to mark Armed Forces Weekend will centre around the central promenade and will run from 10am to 4pm with the Battle of Britain memorial fly-past due at 1.10pm.

They will include a free-fall parachute display by the Black Knights between 11am and noon, an RNLI rescue demonstration in Morecambe Bay, funfair, inflatable assault course, the local regiment recruiting team, the RAF recruiting team, cadets and cadet band and drums, RBL riders (motorcycles) and military vehicles, model railways exhibition, Lancaster models stall, a drone flying display, various military charities stands, military memorabilia and the W.I. stand.

A veterans’ lounge will operate in The Station pub on Marine Road where veterans can pop in for a cup of tea and a sit down.

The Winter Gardens will open their Parisian Bar as a similar refuge.

Raffle tickets will be on sale for the Heroes Prize Draw which will be drawn by the Mayor, Coun Robert Redfern, at 3.30pm in front of the Platform.

Proceeds will go to two service charities, Combat Stress and the Soldiers, Sailors and Air Force Association (SSAFA), both of whom work with veterans and their families to assist with the trauma of combat and the Post Traumatic Stress Syndrome issues now extremely well recognised, in contrast to earlier wars.

Flags have also been raised at Morecambe and Lancaster Town Halls to mark Armed Forces week and will remain flying until Armed Forces Day on Saturday.

The Toby Carvery in Morecambe is also inviting local armed forces personnel to enjoy a free roast dinner on Saturday, to thank them for all their hard work.

Tomorrow (June 22) a Battle of the Somme Anniversary Evening at the Platform.

This includes a performance of a monologue Searching for Matthew and an archive film of Life on the Home Front in the North West.

Booking is advised (tickets £5).

It starts at 7.30pm.

A programme of free events to mark Armed Forces Day will be held at Lancaster Castle on Saturday, June 25 also from 10am to 4pm.

You can test your climbing skills, look at some old and modern military equipment, find out about Roman and recent local history, marvel at the skills of scale military modellers, listen to some traditional jazz and much more.