Year 12 student Matthew B was honoured to participate in the National Remembrance Service in London on the morning of Remembrance Sunday with fellow members of the 31st Northampton Boys' Brigade alongside other groups and organisations.
Matthew has been a Northampton Boys' Brigade member for 12 years and has participated in many Remembrance ceremonies at All Saints Church in Northampton. He was delighted to be invited to travel to London to be part of the National Remembrance Service.
The parade fell in at Horse Guards, then moved to Whitehall, where they stood alongside veterans during the service. The procession marched past the Cenotaph following the two-minute silence and the playing of The Last Post, which Matthew could hear clearly from his position on Whitehall. On passing the Cenotaph, they did 'Eyes Left' as a sign of respect while wreaths were being laid, including one from the Northampton Boys' Brigade. The parade continued along Whitehall, past Parliament Square, and back to Horse Guards, where they were saluted by HRH Princess Anne, Princess Royal.
Matthew also attended the British Legion's Festival of Remembrance at the Royal Albert Hall on Saturday, November 10th. An occasion particularly poignant to him, as his Papa was deployed on a peace-keeping mission to South Korea after the Korean War had ended.
Matthew plans to continue his journey with the Boys' Brigade, a Church organisation centred around building strong young Christians, providing a place for young people to have fun with friends and develop new skills.
Matthew said: "This was a fantastic opportunity for me to participate in such a solemn national event. I am grateful to the Boys' Brigade and our Captain for enabling this experience, which I will always remember."