Thousands of people descended on Oakhill Park in Accrington to pay their respects to the Accrington Pals ahead of the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme.
The Pals Prom was part of a national series of events to mark Armed Forces Day to celebrate our servicemen and women, past and present, and this year’s event also paid tribute to the Accrington Pals with a traditional-style prom in the Park.
It forms part of a series of commemorative events planned to mark the centenary of the Accrington Pals’ devastating losses in the Battle of the Somme in 2016 and to mark the sacrifice of all those who fell in the Great War.
The day’s event included family activities in the park starting at 12noon, followed later by the first ever Accrington Pals Prom, featuring performances by the East Lancashire Concert Band.
This was the first event to be organised by the Accrington Pals Prom Group in partnership with the Royal British Legion.
Anne Ellwood, one of the organisers of the event, said the event was “absolutely fantastic”.
She added: “We had thousands of people there throughout the day for the family fun day at the park and hundreds stayed for the Pals Prom in the evening.
“The East Lancashire concert band were there to lead us, their predecessors were the band who played the Accrington Pals as they marched off to war, the Rossendale Ladies Choir also performed.”
Anne said the success of the event was down to the dedication of the volunteers who helped to organise the Prom.
She added: “The reaction from the public has been wonderful, it was such a fantastic event and a really brilliant boost for the town.
“Eve the weather managed to stay dry for us.”
Councillor Judith Addison, a member of the Pals Prom group, said it was an excellent community event.
She said: “It was a very successful event, the weather held out for us and it stayed dry. Lots of families were there on the day visiting the variety of stalls that were on offer at Oakhill Park.
“There were lots of things going on, including traditional children’s games and there were musical events going on the stage and then the Pals concert started in the evening and the music was fantastic. It was a very unique occasion.”
