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Members of the public spontaneously applauded the many servicemen and servicewomen as they paraded from The Midland Hotel and along the promenade to Morecambe Cenotaph.

Organisers told The Visitor the excellent turn-out was due to the fact that it was the 90th anniversary of the First World War and that the conflict in Iraq and Afghanistan had been in the news a great deal.

It was also the 60th Anniversary of the RAF.
Parade Marshal, Mick Dennison from the Morecambe branch of the British Legion, led the service personnel to the cenotaph.

Mick, whose pub, The York Hotel, is now the base of the Morecambe branch, said: "It was an absolutely fantastic day. It was one of the best I have been to for a while.

"We had the silence first and then we laid the wreaths. It was very windy and I had to employ the services of a couple of the cadets to hold the wreaths in place. The whole event lasted for about an hour. Everybody did very well.

"What was nice was when lots of local people broke into spontaneous applause.

"We had 14 sailors from the HMS Trafalgar staying with us. They were from a submarine which is affiliated with this part of the world.
"What we would like to see is the Mayor of Lancaster to come to Morecambe one time."

It was attended by Morecambe's MP Geraldine Smith, local councillors and the Conservative prospective parliamentary candidate, David Nuttall.
After the service everyone went back to The York for lunch and drinks.

Les Croombs, membership secretary and welfare case worker for the Morecambe branch of the British Legion, agreed that it had been a marvellous day.

"It was absolutely overwhelming," said Les. "It was fantastic to see all the support.

"The reception from Mick Dennison at The York was impeccable. The Morecambe branch seems to be taking off. Membership has gone from 60 to 133 people.

"The Poppy Appeal as a whole was fantastic. I was in Morrisons all week and the tins were full. People were putting in £10 and £20 notes.
"We wish to thank the people of Morecambe who supported us on the day. It was brilliant and we really appreciated it."

Services in Lancaster and Carnforth were also well attended by the forces and members of the public. A Remembrance Service and Concert with The Morecambe Band at The Dome on Saturday night drew a huge audience and was deeply moving.

* If you have left the forces and need the help of the Morecambe Branch of the British Legion please contact Les Croombs on: 07966 240954.
n See The Visitor's website for a slide show of all the photographs from the service at: www.thevisitor.co.uk.