Veterans' Day 2008
For the 2008 Veterans' Day, the national event was hosted in Blackpool as part of the resorts annual "National Veterans' Week" which ran from 21 to 29 June 2008.
Events were held throughout the UK and the day was promoted by a nationwide television advert. The National Veterans' Day Service was held at Blackpool Cenotaph, a Grade II Listed building which had just been restored, by North Pier on central promenade. The service was led by the Bishop of Blackburn and was attended by Camilla, Duchess of Cornwall, Derek Twigg and General Sir Richard Dannatt, the Chief of the General Staff, as well as Henry Allingham (at the time, he was the oldest surviving veteran of World War I). The service was followed by a "Schools Veterans' Day Thank You" performed by local school children,
Various other events were held throughout Blackpool during the day including a "Badge Presentation ceremony" in the Tower Ballroom with the Duchess of Cornwall presenting veteran badges to among others, Martin Bell. There was also a Veterans' Parade along the promenade and a Falklands War veteran abseiled down Blackpool Tower.
The weekly BBC Radio 2 programme, Friday Night is Music Night was broadcast live from the Opera House presented by Ken Bruce with the BBC Concert Orchestra, Alfie Boe and Rebecca Thornhill. The Red Devils parachute display team performed an illuminated "night time parachute drop" outside North Pier and the day ended with a Firework Finale from the pier.
Other events included a commemoration at Trafalgar Square in London.
Read more about this topic: Armed Forces Day (United Kingdom)
Famous quotes containing the word day:
“Rejoice with the day lily for it is born for a day to live by the mailbox and glorify the roadside”
—Anne Sexton (1928–1974)