Armed Forces Day to be marked in Northampton with military parade and entertainment

The annual event is being organised by the Town Council, with stage entertainment sponsored by major local employer, Travis Perkins Group, the UK’s largest distributor of building materials and a leading partner to the construction industry.

The day will begin at 10am, when a marching parade, made up of veterans, standard bearers, serving cadet and reserve forces, including the TS Laforey Northampton Sea Cadets, the TS 800 Naval Air Squadron, the 5F Squadron RAFAC and Army Reserves 103 & 118 FS Battalion REME, steps off from the top of Abington Street, by Abington Square, accompanied by cadet groups from several schools across Northampton.

At 10.10am, the parade will halt on Wood Hill to witness the signing of the Armed Forces Covenant, with speeches from Deputy Lord-Lieutenant of Northamptonshire, Brigadier David Russell-Parsons OBE and The Mayor of Northampton before making its way into St Giles’ Square for the salute outside the Guildhall steps. The parade will continue along St Giles’ Street, then Fish Street, finishing on Abington Street at approximately 10.25am.

The Mayor of Northampton, Cllr Stephen Hibbert, said: “The Armed Forces Day parade gives us the opportunity to show how proud we are of our Armed Forces, both past and present and we encourage residents to come along and cheer them on.

“There will be free entertainment after the parade, kindly provided by the Travis Perkins Group, and a chance to learn more about the vital work undertaken by the Armed Forces and associated charities and organisations.

“This is also a historic occasion for Northampton Town Council as we will officially pledge our support to serving troops, veterans and their families by signing the Armed Forces Covenant.”

The Royal British Legion, the Soldiers’ and Sailors’ Family Association, the Western Front Association and Army Benevolent Fund, the Royal Airforce Association, the Royal Marines Association and Help for Heroes will all have information stalls set up on the Piazza of All Saints’ Church, along with the Northamptonshire Health Charity and NHS Nene Changing Minds.

A selection of vintage military vehicles will also be displayed on the piazza, including a Land Rover 110, which was driven in Bosnia 25 years ago as part of NATO's Stabilisation Force.

Phil York, from the Northampton Branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “We encourage people to come and watch the parade and show their support. It is a day to appreciate the dedication, courage, and selflessness of the brave individuals who serve in our armed forces.”

Stage entertainment will kick off at 10.45am on the piazza, with four-piece Rockabilly band ‘Ignition,’ who draw their influence from artists such as Eddie Cochran and Gene Vincent. They will be followed by vintage vocal trio ‘The Swingettes’ at 11.40am, performing songs from the 1940’s to modern-day pop. Ignition will be back on stage at 12.20pm, and The Swingettes will return at 1.15pm.

Phil Tenney, CITO for Travis Perkins plc, and Group Leadership Team Sponsor for the Group's community of former service personnel and reservist colleagues, said: “As a Group, we are proud to support and celebrate this event - we signed up to the Armed Forces Covenant in 2017, and have a well-established recruitment programme for former forces personnel.

“We will only be more successful as a business if we reflect the communities we serve and tap into talent from a variety of sources, so welcoming service leavers to ensure they have a successful transition to civilian life is very much part of that commitment. These colleagues have a range of valuable skills and we have found that their values align very well with those of our business."

The Armed Forces Day Parade will be the final event taking place as part of Armed Forces Week. On Friday, 16 June from 12.30pm, West Northamptonshire Council are hosting an Armed Forces Community event in the grounds of Delapré Abbey, featuring a series of activities and workshops, along with local Armed Forces charities and support services.

West Northamptonshire Council will also host flag-raising events at Sessions House in Northampton, Lodge Road in Daventry, and at the Forum in Towcester on Monday, 19 June from 10am. For more information about the Armed Forces Community event, visit West Northamptonshire Council’s website: https://www.westnorthants.gov.uk/news/west-northants-council-celebrates-armed-forces-day-2023

Due to the parade, the following roads will be closed from 9am until 11am: Abington Street, St Giles’ Terrace, St Giles’ Street from Hazelwood Road, The Ridings / Dychurch Lane after the Ridings Carpark Castilian Street, St Giles’ Square, Wood Hill, George Row, Mercers Row, Bridge Street, Gold Street between the Drapery and College Street. On street parking on these roads will also be suspended between 7am and 11am.