Armed Forces Day 27th June & Airborne Forces Day (Scotland) 28th June 2009   

Note to all PRA,                                                                                                        

Aberdeen City Council is hosting the National Armed Forces & Veterans Day parade and reception for the North & North East of Scotland on Saturday 27th June please feel free to parade with your branch standard. This is followed on Sunday 28th June by Airborne Forces Day Scotland 2009 in Aberdeen City Centre and Aberdeen Queens Links. The Armed Forces Day Veterans reception will be supported with a bar and food facility being provided by the MOD and Aberdeen City Council. There is a plan to for the Council to hold a traditional Scottish Ceilidh complete with a ceilidh band in the marquee on the Saturday night for the veterans, Aberdeen PRA and its guests. We will have up to 100 tickets available to us at £5 per head; a cash bar will be available. This offers a great opportunity for those coming to Aberdeen for the whole weekend to have a night out and to meet up with everyone prior to ABFD on the Sunday. We have a full range of military events taking place in and around Aberdeen, and City centre throughout this special weekend.  

Sunday 28th June

We await conformation from the Regimental adjutant, Maj Coogan (attending), of the Regimental Lt Col John Hanford attending as the parade saluting officer. I am pleased to confirm that the 3rd Battalion Chaplin, Rev Robin Richardson, will conduct the North Region service of remembrance at the Kirk of St Nicholas. The event will be supported on the day by the Band of the Parachute Regiment and the band director of music Capt David Hammond. Further support for the event will be provided by the Red Devils Freefall Display team and on the ground by a RHQ based recruiting team and supporting elements from A Company 4 PARA. As ever with these events, planning is crucial, we need to confirm catering numbers and numbers for the Kirk of St Nicholas as soon as possible and by end of May latest. We therefore, ask all that are attending on the day notify Bill McKenzie. The main marquee with the bar and civic hospitality reception buffet will be strictly controlled by security staff and monitored by Grampian police. Aberdeen City Council has some very strict outside drinking polices and byelaws, particularly on a Sunday. We need all the attending PRA to support us in being fully compliant with the City's licensing laws and the terms of licenses for the event. Note; this also extends to carry outs from local supermarkets being taken in to the event marquee; this is illegal under local licensing laws!   The event starts with a service of remembrance at 1200 and is followed by the combined North Region PRA parade to the event location at the queens Links. At the event marquee, a buffet with tea, coffee and a bar will be available to all North Region and PRA Branch members. Entry to the food hall and bar will be by ticket only as it is a private function. It is therefore, paramount that everyone attending informs us in advance either through your branch or directly to Bill McKenzie to obtain a ticket.

A full event itinerary will be issued to the branches shortly and advertised through Mike Collins' monthly mail drop to the branches and on the Aberdeen PRA website. All written communications for the Aberdeen Branch & Airborne Forces Scotland should be directed to,

Mr Bill McKenzie Secretary Aberdeen PRA 63 Valentine Drive Bridge of Don Aberdeen AB22 8YF Tel 01224 704735