Scarborough’s South Bay will play host to an impressive celebration of service and sacrifice later this month as Armed Forces Day returns to the North Yorkshire coast on Friday, 28 June.
One of the centrepieces of the event will be a life-size replica of the iconic Mk1 Spitfire, created by local arts group Animated Objects. Inspired by the aircraft that flew in the Battle of Britain, the replica has been carefully designed to match the original’s dimensions and details.
Animated Objects’ Artistic Director, Lee Threadgold, said: “The Spitfire is by far one of the most ambitious projects we’ve ever undertaken. It’s such a landmark piece of engineering and aviation history that people recognise every curve and facet of the aircraft at first sight and it’s our job to ensure we recreate that faithfully for visitors to the Armed Forces Day event in Scarborough.”
Thousands are expected to attend the day-long event, which will run from 11 am to 5 pm, beginning with a welcome from the Scarborough Town Crier. The event is hosted by North Yorkshire Council as part of its commitment to the Armed Forces Covenant and is sponsored this year by Skipton Building Society.
There will be a full programme of displays, music, and activities on the seafront, with one of the main highlights taking place in the skies above the bay. The Royal Air Force will mark the occasion with a flypast by the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring the Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire aircraft.
Charles Skiera, Director of R5 Air Displays Ltd, said: “The Royal Air Force will be sending the Battle of Britain Memorial Flight, featuring the Dakota, Hurricane and Spitfire. That will be particularly poignant in this, the 80th Anniversary of VE Day, with the sounds of the Merlin engines echoing around the South Bay.”
Other airborne displays include a 1930s Tiger Moth, a jet-powered muscle biplane flown by Rich Goodwin, the Starlings Aerobatics Team and a Typhoon flown by Squadron Leader Nathan Shawyer, who trained at the former RAF Linton-on-Ouse.
On the ground, the Yorkshire Corps of Drums will bring the sound of traditional military music to the waterfront with a performance outside the lifeboat station.
Greg Tunesi, former Drum Major of The Honourable Artillery Company and now a side drummer with the Yorkshire Corps of Drums, said: “Our traditional music goes back to Tudor times, and we take pride in keeping the sound of drums and flutes alive in Yorkshire. Our members are mainly ex-military. This will be our third appearance, and we always enjoy the great atmosphere, attentive audiences, plus the sight and sounds of our veterans, regulars, reserve forces and cadets.”
Cllr Carl Les, leader of North Yorkshire Council, said: “We should rightly recognise the service and sacrifice of our Armed Forces personnel and their families, and nowhere more so than in North Yorkshire. Armed Forces Day provides us with both an opportunity to look back and pay tribute to those who gave their lives to defend the freedoms we all enjoy on a daily basis, but also enables us to show gratitude for the roles our soldiers, sailors and airmen are currently playing around the world to keep people safe.”
Cllr Kevin Foster, the council’s Armed Forces Champion, added: “Our county is home to a great many serving and former service personnel and their families, and it is fitting that we hold such a prestigious event in their honour each year. Speaking with our soldiers, I know how important events like this are to them and their families. In times such as those we are currently living in, the importance of our Armed Forces is brought into sharp focus and it is right we recognise the crucial role they play.”
For more details, full event timings and visitor information, visit www.scarborougharmedforcesday.co.uk.
