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Wales Online
2 days ago
- General
- Wales Online
Thousands join celebrations to mark Bangor's 1,500th anniversary
Our community members are treated to special offers, promotions and adverts from us and our partners. You can check out at any time. More info Bangor city centre was a sea of flags and cheers as thousands of residents and visitors lined the streets to witness a grand military parade. It was a highlight of the city's 1,500th anniversary celebrations. The event gathered service personnel, veterans, cadets, and community groups, showcasing a vibrant display of civic pride and heritage. An impressive range of regimental units marched through the streets. Sign up now for the latest news on the North Wales Live Whatsapp community Troops came from The Royal Welsh, the Welsh Guards, RAF Valley, and 106 Squadron medical reservists. (Image: UGC) They were joined by the renowned British Army Band from Catterick, who gave a rousing performance as the parade filed through the streets of Bangor. Veterans and more than 100 cadets, some travelling from as far as Birkenhead and South Shropshire, participated in the impressive procession, demonstrating the broad support for the city's historic milestone. Dr Martin Hanks, Bangor City Director, expressed his gratitude to the community: 'We were thrilled to see such an incredible turnout for the military parade. It was a powerful reminder of Bangor's enduring spirit and the pride we all share in our city's remarkable history. (Image: UGC) "Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event. This is just one of many events planned throughout 2025 to mark our 1,500th anniversary. "We encourage everyone to join us in the coming months as we continue to celebrate Bangor's rich heritage and vibrant community.' The parade is part of a year-long programme of events organised by Bangor City Council in collaboration with local organisations, schools, and community groups. * Other events to mark Bangor's 1,500th anniversary this year will include the Bangor Summer Festival, History Festival, artistic performances, and a spectacular firework display, all designed to honour the city's past, present and future.
North Wales Live
3 days ago
- General
- North Wales Live
Thousands join celebrations to mark Bangor's 1,500th anniversary
Bangor city centre was a sea of flags and cheers as thousands of residents and visitors lined the streets to witness a grand military parade. It was a highlight of the city's 1,500th anniversary celebrations. The event gathered service personnel, veterans, cadets, and community groups, showcasing a vibrant display of civic pride and heritage. Led proudly by Shenkin IV, the iconic goat mascot of the 1st Battalion, The Royal Welsh, the parade showcased an impressive array of regimental units. Guest of honour was Betty Roberts, aged 101, who played a vital role in the RAF communications in WWII. Others in Thursday's parade included troops from The Royal Welsh, the Welsh Guards, RAF Valley, and 106 Squadron medical reservists. They were joined by the renowned British Army Band from Catterick, who gave a rousing performance as the parade marched through the streets of Bangor. Veterans and more than 100 cadets, some travelling from as far as Birkenhead and South Shropshire, participated in the impressive procession, demonstrating the broad support for the city's historic milestone. Dr Martin Hanks, Bangor City Director, expressed his gratitude to the community: 'We were thrilled to see such an incredible turnout for the military parade. It was a powerful reminder of Bangor's enduring spirit and the pride we all share in our city's remarkable history. "Thank you to everyone who came out to support this event. This is just one of many events planned throughout 2025 to mark our 1,500th anniversary. "We encourage everyone to join us in the coming months as we continue to celebrate Bangor's rich heritage and vibrant community.' The parade is part of a year-long programme of events organised by Bangor City Council in collaboration with local organisations, schools, and community groups. Betty Roberts, who celebrated her 101st birthday this month, represents a living link to the city's wartime past. Enlisting in the Women's Auxiliary Air Force (WAAF) in 1943, Betty served as a teleprinter operator at RAF Blackbrook during the Second World War, where she played a vital role in the RAF's communications network. After the war, she married High-Speed Telegraphist Joe Roberts and settled in Bangor, where she has remained a cherished member of the community ever since. Betty recently reflected on VE Day and her wartime service, saying: 'I never imagined the messages I typed would have such importance. We were just doing our duty.' Her quiet bravery and long-standing ties to Bangor made her the perfect guest of honour. * Other events to mark Bangor's 1,500th anniversary this year will include the Bangor Summer Festival, History Festival, artistic performances, and a spectacular firework display, all designed to honour the city's past, present and future.
ABC News
30-04-2025
- Entertainment
- ABC News
South Australia's History Festival to reflect on decisions that shaped the state
From a late-night "conversation" with Don Dunstan to a documentary about the country's oldest German settlement and a pub celebrating 175 years, South Australia's History Festival launches today with nearly 600 events. It is a far cry from more than 20 years ago when it first began as History Week. "It proved so popular that after about three years it became the history festival and it was extended to run for the entire month," History Trust of SA chief executive Greg Mackie said. Greg Mackie is looking forward to this year's festival. ( Supplied: History Trust of SA ) He said this year's iteration would be the last he led after finally achieving his goal to establish a festival "hub" at the heritage-listed Ayers House in Adelaide. Called the House of History, Ayers House will have multiple venues and host 26 free evening talks across 13 evenings during May. "Ayers House lends itself perfectly to this," Mr Mackie told "It's in a sort of saloon setting so people can go to the bar, buy themselves a drink, even a cheese platter, come into the ballroom, sit down and continue to partake while the talks are going on." It will also host performances of An Audience with Don Dunstan, which Mr Mackie described as a "thoroughly enjoyable trip down memory lane" about the late former state premier. Ayers House on North Terrace will feature as a festival hub, with a bar and free evening talks. ( Supplied: Ayers House ) "We probably remember most visually Don Dunstan wearing pink shorts on the steps of parliament," he said. "The production is set in a bar in 1996 in Adelaide. "It's the end of the night and Don Dunstan is there on his own and the venue manager, who is also a singer, is tidying up and they strike up a conversation. The late Don Dunstan wore pink shorts in a statement about appropriate dress for our climate. ( Supplied: Flinders University Library Dunstan collection ) "It's a wonderful take on the life of an extraordinarily accomplished and colourful man whose name defined a decade." The festival's theme, Decisions, reflects how they have defined the state's history — for better or worse. "Like life, history is full of decisions," SA's History Advocate, Keira Lindsey, said. "Some lead on to greatness; others to disaster. "Let's reflect upon the good, bad and ugly of past decision-making and make great decisions about our future." Doco to premiere Down the road at The Mercury cinema, a documentary about Australia's oldest surviving German settlement, Hahndorf, will premiere. Made by local tour operator Sharon Pippis, it features descendants of the town's 1839 founding families, interviews, archive material, and SA history enthusiast Keith Conlon. "The folk that came here were Prussians but they had German ethnicity," Ms Pippis said. Keith Conlon and Sharon Pippis will present on Hahndorf's history. ( Supplied ) Entitled Hahndorf: Echoes of the Past, it also discusses the era's British settlers and features the region's original Indigenous inhabitants, the Peramangk people, who named the area Bukartilla, meaning "place of much water". "They all got along very well here, which is a good news story," Ms Pippis said. "As they do their interviews, the story of Hahndorf is woven through the whole thing, so when people come away from the documentary they are going to know a lot about the Prussian Lutherans, the immigrants that came out, and also other people." Other features of this year's festival include the historic front bar of the Sir John Franklin Hotel in Kapunda, which is celebrating its 175th year, and the city's so-called malls balls, which are captured in author Paul Flavel's talk about the history of Rundle Mall's former department store, John Martin's. The Malls Balls feature in the festival in author Paul Flavel's talk on the history of John Martin's. ( Supplied: History Trust of SA ) There are guided tours around the state's modernist architecture and workshops, including on making traditional cheese and butter. There is also a retrospective about the dramatic 2002 state election, presented by former premiers Rob Kerin and Mike Rann with former political journalist and ABC broadcaster David Bevan in the House of Assembly at Parliament House. "That election was a cliffhanger and Mike Rann ended up forming a minority government with the support of an independent, Peter Lewis," Mr Mackie said. "And there is a WEA [Worker's Educational Association] bakery tour of the Adelaide Hills and Barossa Valley, which, for my money, would be an amazing thing to do. "There's all sorts of things across the state." South Australia's History Festival runs until May 31.
