The county of Herefordshire is at the heart of the armed forces community – around 25% of the county’s population has connections with the military – and with Ross-on-Wye being the lead market town to mark its celebrations in 2022, the organising team is pulling out all the stops to make Armed Forces Day one to remember.
There is a huge community of former, as well as active, military service personnel in the area and Armed Forces Day is a chance for the nation to show its support for the men and women who make up the Armed Forces community, as well as their families and friends.
Ross-on-Wye is planning a day of celebrations on Saturday 25 June from 11am to 5pm on the Rope Walk by the riverside to raise awareness of the support available to the Armed Forces. The day-long programme of activities includes live music, demonstrations, charity and military stalls, food and drink and the whole community is invited to join in.
In the morning, we’re looking forward to a Civil War demonstration from the Worcester Re-enactors – with some lively gunfire – followed by a spitfire flypast just after midday (weather permitting). Following this, the Waterloo Band and Bugles of The Rifles will be performing two sets in the afternoon at 14:00 and 16:00 with modern songs along with more traditional military pieces – this will be their second visit to Ross following their appearance at the Freedom of the Town ceremony in 2017 to mark the 35th anniversary of The Falklands memorial parade.
The KC Riding School Re-enactment in between the band’s performances will involve a parade of horses with riders in traditional civil war dress, demonstrating battle techniques and riding skills.
There is plenty for the kids to enjoy too – including face painting, trying out Fire & Rescue equipment, meeting the local police sniffer dog and participating in the archery challenge provided by the local Air Training Corp. Food and drink will be available including burgers, hot dogs, donuts and local drink from The Tap House and The Paddle Cafe.
It promises to be a wonderful family and community day out – and all we can hope for is that the weather is kind to us!
