Page 28 • The HERALD • 13th July 2023 v WE’VE BEEN YOUR LOCAL SINCE 1994 v PC PAINTING & DECORATING SERVICES Interior/Exterior Painting Decorating & Small Home Improvements Paul 07783 405977 Free Estimates ~ Fully Insured 30 years experience pcdecor8@gmail.com FREE ESTIMATES • 10 YEAR GUARANTEE HYTHE: office.atlaswindows@gmail.com FAX/PHONE 023 8084 0441 Unit 2, Hardley Ind Est, Southampton ESTABLISHED FOR 30 YEARS THE LOCAL WINDOW COMPANY WITH THE BIG REPUTATION SUPPLY & INSTALL • Windows • Porches • Conservatories in PVCu • Doors • Choice of Colours & Woodgrain • Re-Skimming • Rendering • Coving • Dry Lining • Tacking • Artex Covered • Floor Screeding www.tbrownplastering.co.uk Call: 07919 183989 Friendly • Reliable • Professional • Free Estimates FLAT ROOFING SPECIALISTS All Roof Repairs Tel: 023 8184 5632 Mobile: 07880 508415 Email: steve@braithwaiteroo ng.co.uk THE FLAT ROOF SPECIALIST D-Day Weekend at Lepe Country Park by Patricia Hedley Goddard On the weekend of Saturday 3rd June and Sunday 4th June, Lepe Country Park hosted a double celebration of D-Day. e weather was wonderful and the weekend a great success. On Saturday 3rd June, Cecil Newton arrived for his annual observance to his fallen comrades. Every year he stands by the 4th/7th Royal Dragoons Memorial on the stretch of Lepe Beach containing the D-Day Remains. e ceremony is a simple private service, but anyone can attend. Major Graham Greene attends, plus other ex-Royal Dragoon Guards. When the Dragoon Guards regiment is in the local area, they too attend, plus pipers in full uniform. Leader of Hampshire County Council, Councillor Robert Humby attended this very special ceremony. Cecil calls all the attendees to order and the simple service begins. One of Cecil’s attending family plays the music on a disc player, Cecil reads out all 76 names of his departed comrades. e ‘Last Post’ is played, and the wreaths are laid on the memorial. Cecil then takes a cup of sand from Lepe beach over to the Normandy Kohima Epitaph ‘When you go home Tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow we gave our today’ e ‘Last Post’ was played by a member from the New Forest Brass Band, two minutes silence was observed by everyone, and wreaths were laid around the memorial anchor. Twelve year old Laslo Drummond (the son of Aldred) laid the rst wreath and performed a perfect bow to the memorial. He was followed by his two younger sisters, Malinka and Daphne to lay a wreath aided by their father, Aldred, and correctly observed the protocol. Additional wreaths were laid by the British Legion, D-Day Lepe Heritage Group and the Friends of Lepe and the Royal Hampshire Regiment. Additionally there were old military vehicles on display, groups of entertainers including the brilliant Marchwood Military Wives singing some well-known War Time songs, e Jingle Ladies singing a popular repertoire of melodies and a modern Group called e Cookie Monsters. ere were also games for young children, the Friends of Lepe tent and the D-Day Heritage Group Gazebo. is contained a scale model of a ‘caisson’ which was the lower part of a Mulberry Harbour, and the ever popular ‘bomb map’ showing where and which sort of bombs were dropped on the Waterside Area during WW2. anks to the glorious weather, there was a large ‘turnout’ of people and many families had brought picnics. A great time was had by all!! Next Year, 2024, will be the 80th anniversary of the embarkation from these shores to Normandy. A NATIONAL CELEBRATION is already being planned and Lepe will be a key location for this. ere will be the beacon on the cli op lit at 9.45pm in the evening of 6th June, and it will also be NATIONAL FISH & CHIP DAY. Fish and chips were the only foods NOT RATIONED during the war. Hampshire County Council are planning a big county wide celebration on either the previous Sunday, or the following Sunday (actual date to be announced nearer the time), and as with this year, there will be a cli op banner parade and service to start the day o . For the many families, couples, people who attended on the Sunday, THANK YOU for making it such a joyous day. The D-Day Lepe Heritage Group are holding a static exhibition in St. Andrew’s Church, Dibden Purlieu, from Tuesday 1st August 10am for two weeks. The opening ceremony will be performed by Sir Julian Lewis MP. He is Chair of Intelligence and Security in Parliament, and the Conservative representative for New Forest East. beach where he landed on 6th June 1944 and pours it onto the beach. He brings a cup of sand from Normandy back to England. In France he is venerated as a hero and a school has been named a er him. Cecil is in his 100th year, so we are praying that he will be able to join in the National Celebration of the 80th anniversary of D-Day in June 2024. Sunday 4th June saw the re-instatement of the D-Day celebration at Lepe Country Park. Due to Covid restrictions it had been halted, but in the middle of April 2023, Lepe Country Park was permitted, by Hampshire County Council, to reinstate the ceremony. Despite the short time frame to organise such an event, there was a full religious service commenced by the parade of banners. Sir Julian Lewis MP gave a succinct and relevant short introduction, and 2 popular hymns were sung to the excellent music from the New Forest Brass Band. e o ciating minister, Ian McGill from St Andrew’s Church in Dibden Purlieu, gave a short sermon, a poem titled ‘ e Veteran’ was read by Patricia Hedley-Goddard, and John Smith, an RAF veteran, read the Act of Remembrance and the e Waterside Veterans Co ee Club is held on the 3rd Saturday of every month from 10am at Fawley Royal British Legion, Exbury Road, Black eld, SO45 1XD, with their next meetings scheduled for Saturday 15th July and Saturday 19th August. All veterans, serving personnel, their families and dependents are invited to attend and enjoy the usually good humour, refreshments and occasional visiting guests. WATERSIDE VETERANS COFFEE CLUB
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