South Tyneside set to pay tribute to the Armed Forces with South Shields seafront parade

The event, organised by the Bad-Landers Motorcycle Club in partnership with South Tyneside Council, will be held on Sunday, June 18, ahead of the official Armed Forces Day on Saturday, June 24.

Sunday’s celebration will see a colourful military parade along South Shields seafront, followed by a family fun day in Bents Park.

The event will begin with a cavalcade of around 500 motorbikes and scooters as they ride along the seafront - leaving from Sunderland to Bents Park at 9.45am.

This will be followed at around 10.20am by a military parade with pipes and drums from Gypsies Green to Bents Park, where an inspection of the troops will take place and an open-air church service.

Father Mark Mawhinney of St Hilda’s Church will lead the service, which will include prayers, a two-minute silence, renditions of the Last Post and Reveille and the national anthem.

Once the service ends, the family fun day in Bents Park will begin, featuring children’s fairground rides, charity stalls, live music, a tombola and refreshments.

There will also be an exhibition of motorbikes, scooters, classic cars and military vehicles.

The Mayor of South Tyneside, Councillor John McCabe will be inspecting the troops in Bents Park.

Speaking ahead of the event, he said: “Armed Forces Day is a wonderful opportunity for us all to support and celebrate our amazing servicemen and women and the wider Armed Forces community.

“It gives us a chance to show our huge appreciation for their dedication to service and the huge sacrifices they make for us all to protect the UK and her interests at home and abroad.

“Our local event has grown to become one of the most popular and poignant events in our annual calendar and we are delighted to see it returning again this year.

“It will be an incredible honour to represent the Borough at the event and it will be a very proud moment for me to take the salute. We are looking forward to seeing the whole community coming together and supporting our services personnel.

“It is always a great day out for people of all ages.”

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The event is open to the public until 5pm, with a charity donation of £3 per person requested from those attending - visitors to the event will receive a commemorative wristband.

Entry is free for children under 14 accompanied by an adult and all proceeds will go to various Armed Forces charities.

Stuart Rogerson, chairman of the Bad-Landers Motorcycle Club, added: “Armed Forces Day is a fantastic family day out and we’re looking forward to seeing South Tyneside turn out to support once again.

“With everything from a formal inspection of the troops to street entertainers, displays and live music, it is sure to be a great tribute to our armed forces community.

“We always get amazing support from the North East biking community and the money raised on the day goes a long way to supporting military charities.

“But it’s about much more than that. It’s about remembering and acknowledging that our armed forces risk their lives to keep us safe. Let us all show our appreciation this Armed Forces Day.”

The event means there will be a temporary road closure will be in place along Sea Road from around 9.30am to 11.30am to allow armed forces organisations to parade along to Bents Park.