Welcome home parade an 'inspiration'

A welcome home parade for the 1st Battalion The Coldstream Guards staged by the Royal Borough has been praised by the Army’s top man.

General Sir Richard Dannatt, Chief of the General Staff at the Ministry of Defence has written to the Mayor, Cllr Leo Walters, to express his gratitude for the event held in Windsor on Saturday, April 26.

He said: "Your example is, I hope, an inspiration to others."

He spoke about the deep and long-standing support that Windsor has shown for the Army and the Household Division and praised residents for it.

He wrote: "In many respects, it is the things that cost nothing that are the ones that are most important – a friendly greeting in the street, a prayer, a reference in the local paper or people paying their respects to those soldiers who have fallen in battle."

Cllr Walters said of the letter: “The Welcome Home parade was the Royal Borough’s way of demonstrating – on behalf of everyone in our community – the great debt we owe to the service men and women who serve our country in very dangerous circumstances.

"To receive a letter of thanks from General Sir Richard Dannatt is very much valued by all councillors and officers who played a part in the Windsor celebrations."