Haverhill — 24 June 2023

Haverhill Armed Forces Day

When

11:00 am to 3:00 pm

Location

High St
Haverhill CB9 8AR
UK

Haverhill Town Council again marks Armed Forces Day with a range of free activities and entertainment.

On Saturday 24 June at 11.00am a military vehicle convoy will travel around the streets and residential areas of Haverhill. Following the convoy, some of the military vehicles taking part will congregate on Market Square where people can see them in close proximity and talk to the owners.

To remember the contribution of the Caribbean regiment in WW2 we open the afternoon’s entertainment with The Pantasy Steel Drum Band playing a selection of traditional Caribbean music, through to a more upbeat repertoire including new arrangements of well-known songs by artists such as Bob Marley and UB40.

Expect comedy, audience interaction, charming dance routines and great songs from the 1940s including classics from The Andrew Sisters and Glenn Miller.

Learn about the experiences of a young British soldier serving in the trenches in World War I. Join actor Michael Heslop, as he recounts daily life through the eyes of Private Soanes. This one-man performance is the perfect celebration of the ‘ordinary’ people that gave so much in service.

There will also be a range of stalls: take part in a Caribbean themed craft activity with Dawn Gower from The Fabric Seagull; study artefacts from yesteryear from local collectors and the Suffolk Regiment Museum including uniforms and military equipment, jewellery and household items.

From Haverhill and District Local History Group and the Haverhill Group of the Suffolk Family History Society you can find out more about the humanitarian work of the Armed Forces and the WWI, WWII and airmen buried in Haverhill cemetery and also have a go at coding in semaphore and morse, and making aeroplanes and another flying hoop ‘aircraft’ and RAF spinning roundels

A map of the route can be found on haverhillafd.org.uk and on the town council’s social media accounts.