Remembrance Day 2024: Crowds turn out in London to applaud Orange Order remembrance parade across capital city
A Castlederg Orangeman says the Order was applauded on the streets of London for putting on a remembrance Day parade through the capital over the weekend.
The Grand Orange Lodge of England has held the parade through London to mark Remembrance weekend for over 35 years.
This is the third year that Castlederg Young Loyalists (CYL) flute band has also taken part.
Castlederg man Peter Williamson, who is now Worshipful Master of LOL 848 Sussex Crown Defenders, was one of those taking part on Saturday morning
"It was probably the best Remembrance parade I've attended in terms of atmosphere," he told the News Letter.
"We had some 300 people in the parade, mostly from lodges across England, but also some from Northern Ireland and Scotland."
He estimated there were about a dozen Orangemen from Northern Ireland took part, six from Castlederg.
"About 500 supporters followed us along the streets and lots of people came out to see us".
"There were lots of shouts of 'well done' and 'thanks for being here'.
"You could hear comments, 'that's the Orange Order there' and 'good see them over here supporting us this weekend'.”
The parade started near Vauxhall Bridge and marched down Millbank, passing Whitehall, where the band, Grand Master and each Lodge laid a wreath at the cenotaph, followed by a minute's silence. The parade then travelled past Trafalgar Square and finished at Temple, along Victoria Embankment.
The route took about 90 minutes to walk.
Before the parade, the newly appointed Grand Master of England, Tim Lords, led a small gathering of brethren King William III's tomb at Westminster Abbey, where a short service was organised for them by the Dean of Westminster.
Peter and most of the parade went on to the Windsor pub near the East End afterwards.
There were about 500 people in the venue.
"About half of them were from our parade and the other half were supporters that joined us.”
After they had eaten the CYL put on a mini-concert with flutes, drums and a piper for 45 minutes.
"People were just coming in off the street to see what was happening. The staff were all videoing us and said we would be very welcome to come back again next year".