Armed Forces Day celebrations will return to Woolwich Barracks this Saturday, with organisers promising a military parade, live bands, a football tournament, funfair and classic car show.
The event in Barrack Field, off Woolwich Common, was a fixture of the borough’s calendar for a decade, with Greenwich Council hosting its old Great Get Together jamboree alongside it. In 2019, the event was moved to Woolwich town centre before coming to a halt when Covid hit.
Since the pandemic, the St George Garrison Church has revived the event.
The army parade will start from Wellington Street at 9.30am, arriving at Barrack Field with the Welsh Guards band at 10am for the formal opening and inspection.
Once the inspection is over, there will be live music and dancing from the likes of The Jolly Good Timers, MT Pockets, Tilly Pantlin, Company 3, and Ronnie Ripple and the Rip Chords.
Both the army and the RAF will be showcasing their vehicles, including tanks, in the military village. There will also be local stalls with facepainting, arts and crafts.
Tim Barnes, the chair of the trust that runs St George Garrison Church, said: “Woolwich has a long, proud military history that needs to be celebrated. We are delighted to be able to present the community with this fantastic day and to show our support for our service personnel.”
Most of the barracks are earmarked for sale under plans drawn up by the previous government: earlier this year Greenwich Council held a consultation on a draft masterplan for what should be done with the site.
The event runs from 10am to 9pm on Saturday June 28 at Barrack Field, SE18 4QF.
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