For the fifth year running, we attended the City of Wakefield Remembrance Sunday parade and wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial on Wood Street, to pay our respects.
We met at the car park adjacent to Charley Browns on Northgate from 10:30 and thirteen Wakefield MAG members then joined the large crowd which had gathered at the Wood Street War Memorial.
At 10:45, the parade, which had set off from the cathedral, marched up Northgate and onto Rishworth Street, led by the Wakefield Cathedral clergy, marching bands, members of the regular army, members of the 9th Parachute Squadron of the Royal Engineers (Wakefield's own TA unit), army, air & sea cadets, police, fire service, prison service, a big group of veterans, scouts and numerous others.
The service started after the 11:00 town hall bells, with the two-minute silence and service, led by Reverend John Butterworth, Chaplain for the City of Wakefield Branch of the Royal British Legion. At the end of the bible readings, prayers and hymns, everyone was invited to lay their wreaths at the foot of the war memorial. Chas Milner, ex-RAF man, laid our own Wakefield MAG wreath, which we had ordered from the Royal British Legion.
The service was over by 11:30, and we made our way back to the car park, where three had to make their way home for other commitments, whilst the rest saddled up and made their way over to Mirfield and the Old Colonial pub, to meet up with the Royal British Legion Riders (RBLR) Branch, who were attending the Mirfield Remembrance Sunday Parade.
We were there at the invitation of the RBLR (for the third year running) and our attendance this year doubled the number of bikes to 21 and the RBLR were absolutely delighted we attended to support the parade and service, and boost the number of attending motorcyclists.
The role of the motorcyclists, is to lead the procession, with the marching bands, service personnel, cadets, veterans, everyone else following on behind.
It was indeed an honour for all of us to take part in this procession, even the sun shone down on us all.
Following the service at the Mirfield War Memorial, the bikers led the procession back to the 'Old Colonial', where the landlord had laid on food and drink.
A huge thank you to everyone connected with the parade, it was our honour and pleasure to attend. Everyone agreed it was a great thing to do, and we will be attending the service again in 2014 (both in Wakefield & Mirfield), we hope that we can get even more motorcyclists to join the procession in Mirfield in 2014 (especially with 2014 marking a century since the outbreak of the Great War !!!!). A special thanks to Steve 'Jagster' Jagger, for making a huge effort to ride from London to attend the Mirfield Parade, what a STAR !!!! (he has been at the British Legion event at the Albert Hall the day before, had breakfast at the Ace Cafe on the Sunday morning, then had a very boring 200 mile ride up the M1 to be at the Mirfield event ... what a star indeed)