VIDEO: Veteran Mary, 99, honours fallen comrades at Newbury Remembrance Parade
Published: 05:00, 15 November 2023
Updated: 08:04, 15 November 2023
Crowds filled the town for Newbury’s Remembrance Parade on Sunday.
Hundreds lined the streets of the town centre to pay their respects to those who have served and died in conflict.
And joining this year’s parade was a living Second World War veteran from Newbury.
Mary Cholwill, 99, enlisted when she was just 17 and joined this year’s parade — for the first time — to honour the sacrifices of those she knew.
Watch the video below to discover Mrs Cholwill’s story and to see how the parade went.
A parade formed of cadets, military personnel, civic dignitaries and distinguished guests set off from the Newbury Royal British Legion on Pelican Lane just after 10.30am.
Crowds formed along Northbrook Street to greet the passing parade, which concluded at Market Place.
The service, led by Will Hunter Smart, commenced just before 11am.
Then followed the Exhortation — recited by a Newbury RBL member — and the Last Post sounded by two buglers.
Crowds then observed a two minute silence, which was followed by the reveille and the Kohima Epitaph.
The National Anthem was sung and then those who wished to lay a wreath at the Newbury War Memorial were invited to do so.