Mayor leads praise for a fantastic weekend of Remembrance in Horncastle

Stepping out: Some of the 250-plus marchers who took part in the Remembrance Day Parade through Horncastle on Sunday. Photo: John Aron.

That was the how Mayor Coun Brian Burbidge described Horncastle’s wonderful weekend of commemorations as part of the ‘100 Years of Remembrance.’

Hundreds of people attended the various events - starting with a concert by Banovallum Brass Band on Friday evening and culminating in a superb beacon lighting ceremony and fireworks display at Scrivelsby Estate on Sunday.

Around 800 people attended that final event while Sunday’s evocative Remembrance Parade was one of the biggest for years.

Coun Burbidge, speaking at last week’s Town Council meeting, said: “What a fantastic weekend it was.

“It did the town proud and the town did the events proud.

“We had not seen so many people for so many years (at the parade). It was absolutely wonderful.

“The whole weekend must have been one of the best in the county if not the best in the country.

“This is Horncastle.”

Coun Burbidge said he had spoken to visitors from all over the county.

He added: “People had travelled some distance to visit Horncastle. Every comment was positive. They enjoyed their visit.

“People were walking about saying how nice the town was. It was all very, very pleasing to hear.”

Coun Burbidge paid tribute to the organising committee who he said had done a ‘tremendous job.’

Town and district councillor Fiona Martin, who chaired the committee, thanked everyone who had supported the events - including businesses, the Lions and Mr and Mrs Francis Dymoke, owners of the Scrivelsby Estate.

She said the committee was ‘dubious’ about how many people would attend Scriveslby but admitted they were delighted with the ‘wonderful turn-out.’

She said: “Everyone I spoke to was impressed with what we did compared to other towns.

“The parade on Sunday was superb. In the near 40 years I have been marching, I cannot remember anything like it.”

She said St Mary’s Church was packed to capacity for the Remembrance Service with people standing outside and others using the ‘relay’ system in the Community Centre.

Coun Martin praised the town’s WI for their ‘brilliant’ display of poppies. She added: “The town looked superb. It still looked superb a few days later. You hear about vandalism but not one poppy had been removed. That says a lot about Horncastle.”