The Commonwealth flag has been raised in Birchington this morning (March 12).
The ceremony, in honour of Commonwealth Day, was accompanied by a peal of bells at 10am.
Chairman of Birchington Parish Council, Neville Hudson, read a statement from the HM Queen before the flag was raised by the Chairman of the Birchington Branch of the Royal British Legion, Max Houghton. Cllr Hudson followed the raising of the flag with a statement from the Secretary General of the Commonwealth, Patricia Scotland.
The annual Commonwealth Day brings together people from countries in Africa, Europe, the Caribbean, Americas, Asia and the Pacific.
This year’s theme is ‘Towards a Common Future’. More than 2.4 billion people live in the 53 nations that make the Commonwealth.
Information and photos from David Brown
How long have you been a journalist? It should be HM [Her Majesty]. Or should we blame Mr David Brown [who he?]?
You are quite right. It’s been a very long day!
A very good initiative. Turning our backs on our nearest neighbours, and being snubbed by US President Trump over our steel sales to his country, we are going to need a few trade deals with Commonwealth nations. In about 10 years , we will be agreeing all kinds of arrangements with African ,Asian and Caribbean countries which, no doubt, will involve free movement of all our citizens , if only to replace the European workers we have needed. I mean, isn’t that what the Brexit voters wanted? More Commonwealth immigration?