WARRINGTON residents have another chance to show their support for the troops with a Regiment’s freedom parade next Friday October 5.
For the first time ever a regiment with links to Warrington going back almost 150 years will be paraded in all its glory as it marches through the town centre.
The Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment will exercise their right as freemen of the borough to parade through Warrington with colours flying, drums beating and bayonets fixed.
The Freedom parade will be exercised by the 1st Battalion of the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment. The Battalion has recently returned from Cyprus and in now stationed at the Dale Camp near Chester.
With the return of the 1st Battalion, for the first time ever, all three battalions of the Regiment are in the North West.
It follows on from last week’s Freedom parade by the 75 Engineers Regiment, which many people complained about missing.
The next parade Parade will step off from the Town Hall at approximately 11.30am and make its way to Friars Gate; up Bridges Street and back down Sankey Street to the Town Hall, with key viewing areas at the Town Hall; Queens Gardens and Market Gate. Members of the public and local businesses are being encouraged to help honour the troops by lining the route.
The Parade ends at approximately 11.50am at the Town Hall with the salute and a speech from the Mayor.
Mayor of Warrington, Cllr Karen Mundry, said: “The Duke of Lancaster’s is a much-loved regiment with a long-running association with Warrington. This Freedom Parade gives us the opportunity to demonstrate our support for these heroic military servicemen and women.
“It will be a special occasion, and we are encouraging everyone to line the route and show their appreciation for the Regiment.”
The Freedom was first granted to the South Lancashire Regiment in 1947 and passed to the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment in 2006.
Still existing today are Peninsula Barracks which in 1873 became the home of two of our antecedent regiments
O’Leary Street and the statue of O’Leary in Palmyra Square record the name of a former commanding officer of the Regiment, who was killed in action during the War in South Africa 1899-1902
The Parish Church of St Elphins also holds a regimental chapel, and there is small display of regimental material in Warrington Museum.
Live footage of last week’s Freedom Parade
Military freemen 75 Engineers Regiment parade through heart of Warrington
