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Thousands turn out for St George's Day Parade
Flags waved and children cheered as thousands turned out to celebrate St George's Day pride. Emsworth was decked in a sea of red and white yesterday as up to 100 soldiers marched through the village.
An estimated 2,000 people – double what was originally expected – lined the streets to mark our national day as well as saying a huge thank you to the troops.
It was one of a series of events across the area to celebrate St George's Day.
Shops, pubs, churches, the library, lampposts and the fire station were draped in bunting for the parade by the 47th Regiment Royal Artillery based at nearby Thorney Island.
As early as 9.30am crowds of people – some with deckchairs – began to stake their place along
the route.
An hour later the parade began with children from Thorney Island School excitedly making their way down Queens Street, ahead of the regiment, beaming and waving their flags wildly.
And as a huge tank trundled down the street the crowd cheered and whooped in appreciation as the village celebrated its first ever St George's Day parade.
Pensioners, teenagers and mums with prams, jostled to get a view of the immaculately turned out soldiers as they made their way along High Street to St Peters Square.
They then came face to face with veterans who had fought bravely in the Korean war and, in particular the Battle of Imjim River, 58 years ago to the day.
The parade was part of a week of celebrations across the village embracing everything that is English.
It had taken months to organise but locals say it was something young and old will talk about for years to come.
Brendan Gibb-Gray, councillor for Emsworth who helped organise the event, said he was delighted
at the amount of people who
turned out.
'It gives one a great deal of satisfaction to know that so many people have turned out and expressed their thanks for what the military of today and the military of previous years have done for the country,' he said.
'I'm always proud of Emsworth, but today I am even more so.
'The Bangladeshi restaurant has got English flags in the windows and they said to me that they are proud to celebrate today.'
As children from Thorney Island School, Emsworth Primary and St James Primary School, joined together to sing When A Knight Won His Spurs, there were many of those in the crowd who could not help but to shed a tear.
National pride wasn't just confined to Emsworth.
Stubbington too celebrated St George's Day as the Band of HMS Collingwood performed on Stubbington Green last night.
Southsea Visitor Information Centre, in Clarence Parade, served traditional English tea followed by a choir singing a selection of English songs and an open-top vintage bus tour.
The celebrations continue tomorrow with a St George's village fair on Stubbington Recreation Ground between 10am and 6pm and on Sunday there will be a parade from 10am to the Timespace on the Millennium Walk in Gosport.
SCOUTS SHOW PRIDE ON ST GEORGE'S DAY
Hundreds of youngsters from the scouting movement paraded through Fareham last night for their annual St George's Day march.
About 700 beavers, cubs and scouts walked from the Holy Trinity Church in West Street, past Westbury Manor Museum, where Fareham MP Mark Hoban took the salute, before reaching the podium in the town centre.
There was a special guest joining Mr Hoban to take the salute, Scout Charley-May Dekker who was given the honour as the winner of the Chief Scout's Commendation for Meritorious Conduct – the movement's highest accolade.
The 12-year-old had been given the award for her quick thinking when she helped save a pensioner who collapsed with a heart attack in a park.
This year it was decided to hold the parade on St George's Day itself, instead of the nearest Sunday.
Peter Moody, the district secretary for Fareham East Scouts, said: 'We had a great turn-out. Doing it actually on the day was a suggestion that came out of one of our district team meetings.
'We just thought it would be nice to do something a bit different and have the march actually on St George's Day.'
MEMORIES OF IMJIN RIVER BATTLE STILL FRESH FOR VETERANS
Jim Jacobs can still vividly remember the shells, the noise and the terror of the Battle of Imjin River.
He was just 18, and spent three days battling against the oncoming Chinese after months in Korea.
The battle in 1951, saw fierce fighting against a huge Chinese army which was trying to take control of the Korean peninsula. It is considered to be a key battle as it severely disrupted the Chinese offensive, but 1,091 brave soldiers sadly lost their lives.
In a moving ceremony in St Peter's Square, Mr Jacobs, of Angus Close, Fareham, faced the young soldiers of 47th Regiment Royal Artillery as the Mayor of Havant, John Smith, pinned the ceremonial Imjin flower to their chests. It was the first time it has ever been done in public and it brought back many memories for 76 year-old Mr Jacobs.
He said: 'We got pretty heavily shelled and mortared by the Chinese. We were told to wade the river but it was too deep. We finally found an undamaged bridge and got across that but the truck carrying our equipment was blown up. We lost everything.
'I suppose looking back on it it was quite an experience. We managed to get into an American zone and we were eventually picked up. We didn't sleep for four days.'
The men who fought in the battle were honoured with a US Presidential Citation – the highest American award for gallantry.
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Friday 10 February 2012
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