Roads closed for regiment (From Stroud News and Journal)

Roads closed for regiment

THE Five Valleys are set for a rare display of military pomp as the modern equivalent of the Glorious Glosters prepare to parade through the streets of Stroud and Nailsworth.

Soldiers of the Royal Gloucestershire, Berkshire and Wiltshire Regiment will march with bayonets fixed through the towns as they are officially granted the Freedom of the District on Saturday.

The hotly-anticipated parades will feature nearly 100 members of the regiment marching in full ceremonial uniform, together with 60 comrades from the Territorial Army and Army Cadet Force and veterans from the Regimental Association.

"The great thing about coming to Stroud is we have always been welcomed here," said Lt Col Nick Welch MBE, commanding officer of the regiment's 1st Battalion. "It is always a great turn-out, a lovely crowd and a great atmosphere and the troops are really looking forward to it.

"It is also a great honour for us. The cap badges and name may change but

Gloucestershire and Stroud will still be represented by a strong county regiment with great ties to the area."

The centre of Stroud will be off limits to drivers from 11am as the parade marches from the London Road car park to the Subscription Rooms in Stroud, led by their regimental band.

General Kevin O'Donoghue CBE, colonel-in-chief of the Regiment will then formally accept a scroll from Stroud District Council chairman Sybil Bruce granting the honour of Freedom of the District.

And the parade, complete with it's two colours displaying the battle honours of Gloucestershire's famous regiment, will then march through the heart of Stroud before coming back to the Subscription Rooms to be dismissed.

But the pageantry does not end there - towns in the district had to draw lots to decide who would host two further parades and the honours were won by Nailsworth and Dursley.

The troops will arrive in Nailsworth for another parade just after 2pm before being whisked off to Dursley.