Exmouth's Remembrance Sunday Parade a "total disaster"

THE ORGANIZER of Exmouth’s Remembrance Sunday Parade has apologized to those who attended this year’s event, describing it as a “total disaster”. He says he feels “let down” by the building contractors, who clearly hadn’t finished the £3 million redevelopment works at the Strand Gardens. But he’s praised the people of Exmouth for their “splendid” support, and has high hopes that next year’s Parade will see significant improvements.

More than 3,000 people gathered at the Strand Gardens on Sunday to commemorate the fallen of both World Wars and more recent conflicts. Around 150 wreaths were laid at the Memorial in a service that was fraught with problems.

Heavy rain fell overnight and continued throughout the morning. At 10.50am, shortly after the service began, the public address system failed. Consequently very few people could hear it. Although the Reverend Tony Oswin put “his heart and soul into carrying the programme”, the PA failure meant that the service had to be curtailed.

And, if that wasn’t enough, the Strand Gardens’ redevelopment work – which should have been completed in time for the event – was unfinished. The Rolle Street side of the square was still jammed full of contractors’ equipment and buildings, so that the public gathered at that point couldn’t see a thing. It was little better elsewhere around the Strand. Sightlines were very poor indeed, and it was hard to feel engaged in the service. And those who tried to get near to the Memorial found that the torrential rain had turned the unfinished grass areas into a slithering – and dangerous – mudbath.

“All in all, it was a total disaster, but the people of Exmouth were splendid,” says Tom Harvey-May, the chairman of the Royal British Legion Exmouth Branch. “The weather was absolutely foul, so much so that it wiped out the PA speakers. We managed to get the PA working to a degree, fortunately for long enough for the choir to be heard. Tony Oswin, the vicar, really put his heart and soul into carrying the programme, which was severely abbreviated.

“It goes to show that the people in Exmouth are a pretty special bunch. They came out – in excess of 3,000 people – and to be honest half of them couldn’t hear anything because the PA system cut out. I looked through the building site on the Rolle Street side and I could see people on the pavement going right the way down to the mini roundabout at the Powder Monkey and people were standing there, three or four deep. And then they were all the way round the Strand, outside the Indoor Market, all the way along.

“It was impressive because it was a determination to make sure that the ceremony went ahead, irrespective of the circumstances. I’m just stunned. The people here seem to come out, time and time again.”

 Mr Harvey-May says he feels let down by the Strand Gardens building contractors. “We had been told that they would lay the top soil and they would roll it, put down a membrane and bark chippings across the top, so that the public could still walk on what are going to be grassed areas. They didn’t do any of that. And they left a very soft muddy surface. I dread to think of what it was like to walk on.

 “I was told that there was going to be a hessian membrane across the middle of the Strand Gardens. That didn’t appear. I was also told that they were going to try and remove as much plant and buildings out of the site so that it wasn’t quite so unsightly. To be honest, I would be surprised if they moved anything at all. All the way round, they let us down, I think.”

 The conditions – and the fact that it was hard to reach the Memorial – didn’t dampen the spirits of those who attended.

 “We had three amputees from Headley Court military hospital in Surrey. They had specifically asked the hospital to bring them to our Remembrance Parade. They couldn’t even get to the front of the crowds because they were so thick, and the three of them stayed halfway in the back in the thick of the crowd, but not bothered at all. From choice, I would have had them upfront because to me those would have been our stars, but no, they were quite happy. They had come all the way from Surrey just to be on our memorial parade and it didn’t matter that they didn’t get to the front. That wasn’t their intention."

Mr Harvey-May has high hopes for next year’s Parade. He says that increased public access, weather-proofed PA speakers, coloured lights and a possible stage area will all help. “When the Strand Gardens are finished, you should finish up with a big open-air auditorium, with possibly double the space for the public. It’s going to be a lot more attractive, very modern in a way. And our parade is going to be bigger.”

And he’s philosophical about this year’s event. “Sorry, but we did the best we could this time. You’ve got to be philosophical about it. Big G, JC and Spooky decided to give us a bit of water and we’ve got to live with it.

 “I think the best comment that I heard was from a couple who were crossing the mud at the Strand Gardens. The woman said to the feller, ‘The soldiers in the First World War lived in trenches up to their knees in mud, and they lived in them for weeks on end. We’ve had it for an hour, so who’s complaining?’ How can you answer that? That was a wonderful philosophical attitude.

“I really wanted to have a fantastic show, and it didn’t happen in that way, but the people of Exmouth still made it a very special day.”

See more pictures of the event at Exmouth's Remembrance Sunday service 2010