THE military will be on show in Faringdon Road Park later this month as the country celebrates Armed Forces Day.

Music, martial arts demonstrations and fitness displays are all part of the programme on June 22.

One of the organisers Capt Andy Skiffington said: “Armed forces day came about in more recent times to allow the community and the civilian population to show their appreciation for the armed forces.

“When I first joined the army many years ago, there wasn’t anything. The idea of this day is to allow the armed forces community to present themselves to the public, to allow the public to understand what we do, and how we support a lot of civilian communities, because quite a lot of people don’t know what we are actually doing. It’s also an opportunity to allow the civilian community to give thanks to those from the armed forces that have contributed to the wellbeing of the nation and its security.

Capt Joshua Peckham added: “And also it’s fair to say that the army has become much smaller over recent years and so there has been less understanding.”

Pupils from the Ferndale School will be singing during the afternoon and there will be military displays provided by the Garrison Volunteers, the Dorset Regiment Living History Group, the Royal Wessex Yeomanry and cadets.

“It’s a good day, lots of people come out and enjoy themselves. There are also lots of activities. It’s a day of celebration,” said Capt Skiffington.