Armed forces concert cancelled after band pulls out

AN eleventh-hour cancellation by a band has forced New Milton Town Council to call off a special concert saluting members of the armed forces.

The event – part of the council’s programme of free shows titled A Summer’s Afternoon of Live Music – was due to have taken place on the War Memorial Recreation Ground on Sunday. It would have marked Armed Forces Day which is tomorrow (Saturday).

But the Hampshire and Isle of Wight Air Training Corps Band, which was due to have played from the green's performance pavilion, pulled out on Wednesday. This was said to have been due to a lack of support from its cadet musicians.

Council administrator Joanna Hayward immediately set to work trying to find a replacement band, but this was fruitless as many other Armed Forces Day concerts are taking place over the weekend.

The scrapping of the event, which had been advertised online and on banners around the town, was announced yesterday (Thursday) in an apology emailed to subscribers and posted on the council’s Facebook page.

“We have been unable to get another band at such short notice and obviously it is Armed Forces weekend so musicians are otherwise committed,” Mrs Hayward wrote.

“A lovely weekend is forecast and we would expect a good turnout from the community so this is a great shame and a decision that was considered carefully due to the involvement of other parties like army cadets, New Milton Sands WI, SuperScoops, the New Milton Residents’ Association, the Soldiers, Sailors, Airmen and Families Association and the Royal British Legion.”