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Veterans sound their Last Post

20/12/2006

ROCHDALE'S Royal Artillery Veterans' Association has marched its last parade.

The only two surviving members have decided to wind up the association after 26 years.

Founder member Ernest Preston, aged 69, and standard bearer Alan Brooking, aged 85, organised a short service at the Parish Church followed by a parade along Drake Street to mark the end of the group.

Mr Preston, of Cronkeyshaw, who served with the regiment in Cyprus during the 1950s, said it was an emotional event.

He added: "We are very sad to have to do this. We formed 26 years ago and we have been to quite a few funerals of past members during that time.

"We tried to keep going for as long as possible in honour of the people who had passed away, but in the end it just wasn't practical for two people to carry on.

"We are the last two surviving members and we cannot find anybody to keep it going.

"We would have loved to have found some younger members who were interested, but it was not to be.

"There are plenty of people in Rochdale who served with the Artillery, but you cannot make people join."

At its peak the group, which used to meet every Thursday, had about 40 members. However in recent years numbers had declined and it was forced to amalgamate with the Oldham branch in order to continue.

The association's flag is now laid up in the church.