Excitment builds in Portsmouth ahead of Armed Forces Day

PORTSMOUTH will rally to pay tribute to the nation's brave servicemen and women this weekend.
Armed Forces Day in Fareham last yearArmed Forces Day in Fareham last year
Armed Forces Day in Fareham last year

Armed Forces Day starts tomorrow with a host of free musical entertainment and activities taking place across the city.

There will be everything from displays at Portsmouth’s Historic Dockyard, to free entry at the city’s D-Day Museum in Southsea.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

Penny Mordaunt, Portsmouth North MP and armed forces minister, is now urging as many people as possible to join the action.

‘It’s incredibly important to use this day as an opportunity for people to get together and also just say thank you to the forces for what they are doing,’ she said.

Celebrations began on Monday with a flag-raising ceremony in Guildhall Square. At the Historic Dockyard, visitors can join family activities at Action Stations, see a range of military vehicles on display and enjoy performances from a range of music groups, headlined by 1940s vocal trio The Three Belles. Aidan Rowsell, events manager at the dockyard, said: ‘This is a superb day of entertainment to celebrate a special day. It’s our way of showing appreciation for those who make up the armed forces community.’

There will be a water-side market and tea tent, with free tea, coffee and cake for veterans, which can be found close to the National Museum of the Royal Navy Portsmouth building.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

The music performances and military vehicle display all take place in the Starboard Arena, next to HMS Victory.

Meanwhile the Air Cadets 1189 Portsmouth Squadron and 1098 Gosport Squadron will be performing a continuity drill sequence and a morning march at 10.30am.

Elsewhere, Morrisons in Anchorage Road, Anchorage Park, is hosting a mini-family fun day with barbecue, bouncy castle and a band from the Sea Cadets, from 10am to 4pm. Proceeds going to Walking for Wounded.

And The D-Day Museum in Southsea will be free for visitors tomorrow.

Hide Ad
Hide Ad

It will be running a plethora of military-themed activities, from a model ship display by the Surface Warship Association as well as the chance to meet Normandy veterans.

CITY MP PRAISES TROOPS BOMBING ISIL n PAGE 20