By Katherine Robinson of the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group.
The 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group and the Willow Brook Centre are busy preparing for the annual Remembrance parade and ceremony on Sunday 12th November. We are expecting record numbers of parade participants again this year with 11 local youth groups taking part. Our own Scout group will, of course, have all its sections represented and will be joined by 1st Stokeway Rainbows, St John Ambulance Cadets, 2nd Bradley Stoke Brownies, 3rd Wallscourt Farm Scout Group, 1st Bradley Stoke Rainbows, 2nd Stoke Lodge Brownies, South West Winterguard Academy, Trident Explorer Unit, 37th Squadron (Frampton Cotterell) Air Training Cadets and the 1st Little Stoke Scout Group. Representatives from our local town and county councils will be represented and the Reverend Paul Hinckley will be representing the churches of Bradley Stoke. Once again, the excellent Filton Concert Brass Band will join us in the square to complement our own Scout marching band, which will be accompanying the parade.
This year, our young people are going to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the Battle of Passchendaele from the First World War and mark the 100th birthday of Dame Vera Lynn. We will also hear from some of our Scouts who visited the D-Day beaches in Normandy on their summer camp.
Our Scouts, Cubs and Beavers will also be giving the war memorial its annual wash and brush-up, helping with the Royal British Legion’s annual Poppy Appeal and making large poppy window displays to decorate the foyer of the Willow Brook Centre.
We would like to extend a warm invitation to all members of our community to attend the ceremony on Sunday 12th November and you are very welcome to lay a wreath or cross at the memorial (a small sand box will be put out next to the memorial nearer the day).
More information: Map of the parade route
Local Remembrance parades and ceremonies
- Bradley Stoke: Sunday 12th November – Parade from the Jubilee Centre at 10.15am. Ceremony in the town square at 10.45am.
- Stoke Gifford: Sunday 12th November – Ceremony at the cenotaph, North Road at 10.15am followed by services at St Michael’s Church and Rock Lane Baptist Church at 11am.
- Patchway: Sunday 19th November – Parade from the car park near Coniston Medical Practice at 10.30am sharp followed by Remembrance service at the war memorial in Scott Park.
Photos: 1 Marching band of the 1st Bradley Stoke Scout Group in the 2016 Remembrance Day parade. 2 Ceremony in the town square (2014).
This article originally appeared in the November 2017 issue of the Bradley Stoke Journal news magazine (on page 11). The magazine is delivered FREE, EVERY MONTH, to 9,500 homes in Bradley Stoke, Little Stoke and Stoke Lodge. Phone 01454 300 400 to enquire about advertising or leaflet insertion.
