British Legion members lower their standards as coffins are driven through Wootton Bassett A Flintshire businessman has organised two concerts in Wootton Bassett, Wiltshire, to thank local people for honouring soldiers killed in conflict.
Residents paying their respects as coffins of servicemen are driven through the town have become a regular sight.
Esmor Davies, 65, from Buckley, said the concerts were in gratitude for their support.
Mr Davies has paid £6,500 for the Cor y Gogledd choir to stay overnight.
“I think about the people who still have sons [in Afghanistan] on the edge wondering when the next telephone call is coming in”
Esmor Davies
“As a Welshman I just want to say thank you to the people who stand in the streets for six or seven hours at a time as the bodies of the soldiers are repatriated,” he said.
He said up to 400 people were expected at the second concert at St Bartholomew’s Church in Wootton Bassett on Saturday evening.
In the afternoon, an open air concert will be staged at the town’s cenotaph.
Both events are free, with a collection going to the charities Help for Heroes and the Royal British Legion.
The choir, which attracts members from across north Wales, will be accompanied by soloists including 13-year-old Lucy Kelly, tenor Aled Wyn Davies, former musical director of the Fron choir Ann Atkinson, and Elin Mair from Caernarfon.
Charity ventures
Mr Davies will sing, at the request of one bereaved family, the traditional Welsh hymn Calon Lan (Pure Heart).
The construction company owner has previously helped in a number of charity ventures around the world, but he said he had been determined to thank the people of Wootton Bassett by organising the concerts.
He started organising Saturday’s events in January after watching a repatriation ceremony and the subsequent drive through Wootton Basset on television.
He said: “I have a son, but I don’t have anybody in the Army.
“I think about the people who still have sons [in Afghanistan] on the edge wondering when the next telephone call is coming in.”
This article is from the BBC News website. © British Broadcasting Corporation, The BBC is not responsible for the content of external internet sites.