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Registered Charity United Kingdom No 226682 Spain No G54288329
INTERNATIONAL VETERANS’ DAY 2011
AND XV111 SAN CRISTOBAL FESTIVAL
AND XV111 SAN CRISTOBAL FESTIVAL
The XVIII San Cristobal festival was the major attraction on Torrevieja Harbour front over the weekend.
A Wreath in Remembrance to all the Fallen International Veterans, was laid by Brian Todd Chairman of the Royal Air Forces Association Costa Blanca Branch
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Veterans and those who have fallen in the service of their country were once again honoured and commemorated during International Veteran’s Day which has become an integral part of the San Cristobal celebrations in Torrevieja. Last year’s organisation was spoilt by the weather but there were no such fears last Saturday as the sun shone on a very warm day. Unfortunately there seemed to be some mix up over the starting time of the parade with the programme declaring it would be 4.00 pm but as it turned out it was 5.00 pm before everything got going, a frustration for all the British ex-service people who had been in place for some time. The Torrevieja Pipes and Drums were on hand to keep the crowd entertained while everyone waited for the other bands and the guests of honour to arrive after their lunch
Eventually all the groups were arranged in the correct order and the standard bearers were called up to form a guard of honour archway for the wreath, in honour of the fallen, to be carried through by a representative of the British Armed Service Veterans and a member of the Spanish Legion Veterans. There was an additional wreath presented and laid by the Chairman of the Royal Air Forces Association. The wreaths were laid in front of the specially erected flagpole from which the Spanish Bandera was flying at half-mast in honour of the five soldiers killed last week in an accident whilst defusing explosive devices during an exercise designed to prepare them for a tour in the Lebanon. The guest of honour as last year was Lieutenant General José Emilio Roldan Pascual, head of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias. Alongside him were other representatives of the Spanish Armed Forces together with members of the British ex-service associations.
There were four bands taking part in the parade together with members of the Royal British Legion from Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa, the Royal Naval Association, The Royal Marines Association, RAFA and the Spanish Legion Veterans. The parade made its way through the streets of the town to the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Centre where the Third Annual Festival of Military and Civil bands was due to take place together with the award of the ‘Knight of San Cristobal’ which this year was made to Serafín Castellano who is a councillor on the Valencian government
Our Thanks to Paul Mutter and the Coastrider
Eventually all the groups were arranged in the correct order and the standard bearers were called up to form a guard of honour archway for the wreath, in honour of the fallen, to be carried through by a representative of the British Armed Service Veterans and a member of the Spanish Legion Veterans. There was an additional wreath presented and laid by the Chairman of the Royal Air Forces Association. The wreaths were laid in front of the specially erected flagpole from which the Spanish Bandera was flying at half-mast in honour of the five soldiers killed last week in an accident whilst defusing explosive devices during an exercise designed to prepare them for a tour in the Lebanon. The guest of honour as last year was Lieutenant General José Emilio Roldan Pascual, head of the Unidad Militar de Emergencias. Alongside him were other representatives of the Spanish Armed Forces together with members of the British ex-service associations.
There were four bands taking part in the parade together with members of the Royal British Legion from Torrevieja and Orihuela Costa, the Royal Naval Association, The Royal Marines Association, RAFA and the Spanish Legion Veterans. The parade made its way through the streets of the town to the Virgen del Carmen Cultural Centre where the Third Annual Festival of Military and Civil bands was due to take place together with the award of the ‘Knight of San Cristobal’ which this year was made to Serafín Castellano who is a councillor on the Valencian government
Our Thanks to Paul Mutter and the Coastrider