A total of thirteen of us - including our Standard Bearer, Chairman, and two Parade Marshals - bravely, if self-consciously, represented the Legion in the grand March on Sunday, 24 June from the Town Hall to All Saints' Church to celebrate the inauguration of Cllr Bob Sandall, the Town Mayor, and the 90^th Anniversary of your Stamford Branch. Fortunately a further two dozen Members joined us at the Church together with the Lord Lieutenant, the High Sheriff, assorted Counsellors, and neighbouring Mayors and Mayoresses. There were more chains there than at Guantanamo!

The Mayor's Chaplain and Dean of Stamford, the Very Rev Mark Warrick, and our own Branch Chaplain, the Rev Canon Donald Gray, led the Service of Rededication together. In his sermon Mark Warrick said that the Rededication offered an opportunity to look to our performance and to keep ourselves on our toes. He observed that there was always some conflict in progress somewhere and that HM Forces were constantly engaged. Pride and greed were normal and our society was also moving that way. There would always be a role for the Legion; we must continue our good work.

We shall draw a veil over the march back to the Town Hall. The good bits were that we increased our number to ten and the salute to the War Memorial as we marched past. At the Town Hall itself we then had a short but impressive ceremony, led by the Mayor to raise the Armed Forces Flag for the week. A special thanks must go, as always, to Stamford Brass generally, and to Bob Rennard for playing theLast PostandReveillefor us, and to all the Cadets who turned out. Without them, the Parade would have been thin indeed. Afterwards, during the Mayor's reception in the Town Hall, Darren Rawnsley, the Town Poet Laureate, read his poemBuilding Bridgesto mark Armed Forces Day and the need to show our support for the troops.