187-08 Veteran's day celebrated for first time in Stoke

All veterans living in and around north Staffordshire are invited to attend celebrations to be held in Stoke on Sunday 22 June.

A church service will be held at 11.45am in Stoke Minster by Rector the Reverend David Lingwood. This will be followed by a parade around Stoke led by the Black Watch Pipers and a celebration and buffet lunch in the Kings Hall.

Members of the public are welcome to attend the service and watch the parade, but veterans are encouraged to get more information to take part in the parade and apply for tickets to attend the buffet with a guest at the Kings Hall in Stoke.  Entertainment will be given by City of Stoke-on-Trent Music and Performing Arts Service.

Lord Mayor of the City of Stoke-on-Trent Cllr Derek Capey said: "We have worked with a committee of local ex-forces associations to organise these celebrations and have contacted all known local veterans. We also want to make sure we invite those who we have not managed to reach. Please phone 01782 231922 to apply for tickets to take part, or members of the public can just turn up to watch the parade after the service and show their support."

Member of the organising committee and himself a veteran Major Gordon Beddow said: "I'm absolutely delighted that Veteran's Day will be celebrated in Stoke. I hope the event goes from strength to strength."
   
Veteran's Day is a new national day of celebration which started in 2006 and this celebration will be the first in north Staffordshire. 27 June is the actual fixed date for Veteran's Day, but events are normally held on the weekend before or after this date.

Anyone who has ever served in the armed forces qualifies as a veteran and the organisers hope that all local veterans will take part. Veterans can be of any age and there are an estimated 5.5m in the UK. They can have been regulars or reserves, and include merchant mariners and Polish detachments who served under British command.

The event has been organised by Stoke-on-Trent City Council and Newcastle-under-Lyme Borough Council, but anybody from Staffordshire or Cheshire is welcome to take part.

Veteran's Day is both a celebration of the contribution made by all those who have served in the Armed Forces and a means of raising public awareness of Veterans issues. It is not about commemoration and therefore does not replicate Remembrance Day.

Note to Editors:

A family of veterans living in Stoke and Newcastle are available for interview. The Lord Mayor of Stoke-on-Trent, The Mayor of Newcastle-under-Lyme and Major Gordon Beddow are available for interview.
There is a link to the Veteran's Day Logo below:
http://www.veterans-uk.info/veteransday08/20080319.doc