Beacon lighting at Royal British Legion Club and parade to mark VE Day 80 in Lymington
LYMINGTON residents can pay their respects to Second World War heroes at a beacon lighting ceremony and town parade to mark VE Day 80.
On Thursday 8th May, a special VE Day flag will be raised above the Royal British Legion Club in the High Street before a gathering at the town’s war memorial at 11am.
Later that day, a beacon will be lit in the club’s garden at 8pm.
The commemoration will continue on Sunday 11th May, with the Ringwood Pipe Band leading a parade and the beacon from the club to St Thomas’s Church at 11.45am.
This will be followed by a church service and wreath-laying at the memorial at noon, followed by a performance by the pipe band, which has been sponsored by the town council.
The band will then lead a parade back down the High Street to the legion clubhouse where the Lymington Town Band will be putting on a performance to entertain the crowds.
The legion said all are welcome to attend the club, where free hot dogs and burgers will be served, and donations to the Poppy Appeal will be gratefully accepted.
A town council spokesperson confirmed a road closure, organised by the legion, will be in place from 10.30am to 3pm on 11th May between New Street and Church Lane for the parade.
The spokesperson also confirmed the town’s deputy mayor Cllr Colm McCarthy and other town councillors will be attending the event while the mayor will be at Woodside park to start the RNLI fun run.
Legion treasurer Tracy Robertson, who was last year named Lymington’s Citizen of the Year for her charity work, said she is pulling out all the stops to make the town parade as special as possible.
“I’m still working on getting as many military vehicles involved as possible,” she told the A&T. “hopefully we’ll have at least three or four, but if anyone wants to contact me via the Legion to get involved that would be great.
“The town always comes together for the VE Day commemorations and it will be great to see the Ringwood Pipe Band here, parading through the town in their kilts.”
To contact Tracy at the legion email tracyrobertson@uwclub.net
