Cambridge Community Board chair Jo Davies-Colley and RSA president Tony Hill battle the pouring rain to lay wreaths at 11am on 11 NovemberArmistice Day Commemorations
All things going to plan, Waipā’s Armistice commemorations should go like clockwork this weekend.
Perfect weather conditions are predicted and event organisers in both Cambridge and Te Awamutu have arranged a series of events at which people can pay their respects to those who fell in global conflicts, and those who returned.
A special Armistice Salute Concert at the Cambridge Town Hall will start at 7pm tomorrow (Friday) presented by the Cambridge Brass Band. Entry is via a gold coin donation to the Cambridge RSA Welfare Trust.
Cambridge RSA president Tony Hill said the main Armistice Day Civic ceremony will start at 11am on Saturday in the Cambridge Town Hall. That event, set to be attended by a delegation from our sister city Le Quesnoy, will be preceded by the Armistice Day Parade.
Sunday will see a short Remembrance Sunday ceremony, also at the Town Hall, starting at 10.50am.
Outside the official services, the annual two-day Armistice in Cambridge event at Mighty River Domain will offer a range of activities for families. Recognised as one of the largest Armistice events of its kind, it will run from 9.30am to 4pm on Saturday and Sunday and will feature more than 20 activities for children, including WW2 jeep rides, an RC tank and more.
Meanwhile, Te Awamutu RSA committee member Lou Brown said three services were planned for that town and its surrounds.
The first will start at 11am on Saturday at Anzac Green in Te Awamutu, commemorating the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month with addresses and a service.
On Sunday, the annual Armistice Day service at the Pukeatua War Memorial Church will start at 11am.
The service will feature the blessing of a new church bell, and the blessing of two shell cases donated by the Hauraki Chapter of the Patriots Defence Force Motorcycle Club. The club, made up of former and current servicemen, has a long association with Pukeatua Church and members regularly attend Anzac and Armistice Day commemorations held there.
Brown said the shell cases would replace two candelabras stolen along with a brass cross early last year.
“The cross was subsequently recovered… thrown back onto the section after those who took it presumably discovered it wasn’t a valuable as they had hoped. The Patriots Motorcycle Club asked if they could donate the shell casings as a replacement for the candelabras. It is a lovely gesture.”
Following a light lunch at Pukeatua – at which the 29th anniversary of the Te Awamutu Cadets will be celebrated – there will a brief service at the grounds of the former Tokanui Hospital, starting around 1.30pm.
“We are doing a small memorial service at the top of the paddock close to where the hospital once stood. Some of those who returned from the Boer War and WW1 came back with significant problems and went to Tokanui Hospital. A few of them are laid to rest there.”
Brown said members of the public were welcome to attend any, or all, of the services.
The official Armistice Day remembrance ceremony was held last year. Cambridge Community Board chair Jo Davies-Colley and RSA president Tony Hill lay their wreaths while mayor Susan O’Regan waits to lay one of behalf of Waipa District Council
