Coldstream Guards band to lead Armed Forces Day parade in Doncaster

Mayor Ros Jones has described the band’s appearance on June 24 as a ‘tremendous honour’ and added: “This is very exciting news for Doncaster.”

She said: “We’ve received confirmation that in our first year as City of Doncaster, we will be hosting the Band of The Coldstream Guards to lead our parade on Armed Forces Day on Saturday 24 June.

“We are tremendously honoured to welcome the Band of the Coldstream Guards to Doncaster this year at our first Armed Forces Day as a new city.

“This is very exciting news and having the band join us at what is always a well attended and popular event will create a wonderful and never before seen spectacle through the city centre.

"The atmosphere will be fantastic.

“Doncaster has a very special connection to the Coldstream Guards - the regiment were granted Freedom of Entry, the highest honour that Doncaster Council can give to a military unit.

"This honour was in recognition and celebration of the long and proud history that Doncaster shares with the regiment.”

The parade will see the band march through the streets of the city centre before arriving at a new and much larger venue for the Armed Forces Day Event – Elmfield Park.

Historically the event has seen a parade march to the Market Square, but the growth of the event in the last few years and the massive increase in parade participants means council chiefs have had to find a bigger space – but a space that allows the Parade to still march through the city centre streets.

Added Mayor Jones: “We hope to have more exciting news about Armed Forces Day in the coming weeks, but we are looking forward to welcoming the Band to Doncaster and I know that you’ll all come out in your droves to witness this very special and colourful spectacle to our City centre.”

One of the oldest and best known bands in the British Army, having been officially formed in 1785, the band opened Live Aid in 1985 and have performed at numerous significant Royal and ceremonial events.