Town Hall pays tribute to servicemen

Photo: Jan Harwood

Servicemen and councillors join Mayor Keith Swift and Mayoress Sue Etchells to raise the flag.

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The Mayor of Rochdale, Councillor Keith Swift raised the flag this morning to commemorate British Armed Forces day.

The flag raising ceremony took place at Rochdale town hall and the Mayor was accompanied by the three party leaders and representatives from the Royal British Legion.

The specially commissioned flag will be flying until Saturday (27 June), which is the official British Armed Forces day.

Mayor Swift said: “I am honoured this morning to be able to pay tribute to those people who perform so superbly serving our nation in our armed forces.

“Our armed forces are made up of such remarkable people who are willing to pay the ultimate price, just as the veterans who are with us this morning and those who have fallen in the battle have done.

He concluded: “I am proud on behalf of the borough of Rochdale to raise this flag with our thanks to those past and present who serve us in our armed forces.”

Councillor James Garside said: “It is wonderful to acknowledge what our forces are doing now, although there are the Remembrance Day celebrations for those who died, this recognises those who are alive.”

He added: “It is an excuse for me to remember my father; because he survived the First World War he isn’t on any records, so it is a nice memory for the people that lived through it.”