Saturday 27th May
Trebah Gardens
Pipers: Nigel, Keith G, Alex, Miranda, John, Donny, Felicity, David, Matt (visiting piper)
Drummers: Chris, Keith I – Bass; Sully, Tom – Snare; Fred, Vic, Beth – Tenor
Drum Major: Andrew
A pleasant day out for the Kernows at Trebah Gardens to join the commemoration of the D-Day landings with our hosts -The Parachute Regiment Association. After marching the Standards to The Lawn, we entertained the crowd for about 15 minutes before the Shanty Singers took the stage. At midday there was a ceremony to present Peter Thorne of the Cornwall Para Association with the Legion d’Honneur from the French Government for his wartime activities in southern France. The ‘Consul Honoraire de France’, Monsieur Alain Sibiril, made a moving speech before pinning on the medal to a proud paratrooper. The PM then played ‘La Marseillaise’ on the pipes, which was much appreciated by the Consul and provided a fitting end to the ceremony.
After the traditional Cornish Pasty lunch, the band formed up in the woods to parade the Standards to the Drumhead Service held at the beach where the American 29th Division embarked for Normandy. The Band entertained the crowd on the beach before being dismissed, some given a ride back up the hill in a fleet of iconic American jeeps and army land rovers, where we enjoyed a Cornish cream tea. The PM finished the band’s participation in the day’s events by playing a lament to conclude the Sunset Ceremony.
The Kernows made a great contribution to the success of the day and can be well pleased with their performances.
