Armed Forces Parade in Romford

Saturday 26 June will mark the second annual Armed Forces Day. In Havering the day will be celebrated with an Armed Forces Parade followed by a Uniformed Youth Festival.

The parade will take place through Romford Town Centre, beginning at 11am on South Street, going through the Market before ending at Tollgate House. The parade will be led by the Romford Drum and Trumpet Corp.

This is an excellent opportunity for the people of Havering to show their support for our Armed Forces - past, present and future.

If you are a veteran or represent a veterans' organisation and would like to be involved in the parade, please contact Mike Thomas on 01708 432427 or by e-mail at events@havering.gov.uk
Not sure if you're a veteran? A veteran is somebody who has served at any point in their life in any branch of the Armed Forces for any length of time. You do not have to have seen combat to be classed as a veteran. Veterans also include Bevin Boys and Lumberjills.

A collection for the Help for Heroes appeal will take place in the Market during the day.
Please note that there will be limited access to pay and display parking at the Town Hall during the day. If you wish to park at the Town Hall, you should enter from the Park End Road entrance.

As part of Havering's Armed Forces Day celebrations, the UProject will be running a Uniformed Youth Festival to celebrate cadets and other uniformed youth groups in the Borough.

The event will take place on Saturday 26 June at Romford Town Hall, 1.30pm to 4pm.
Uniformed youth organisations from Havering will have information stalls where potential recruits can find out about all the different training and activities each group offers.

This is also an excellent opportunity to find out information about becoming an adult volunteer with one of the groups.

Havering In Bloom

Gardeners across the borough are being urged to enter this year's Havering In Bloom competition. As one of the greenest boroughs in London, the Havering in Bloom competition is always hotly contested and last year there were well over 100 entries.

This year there are 12 categories in the competition giving a wide range of opportunities for individuals and businesses with different gardening strengths to show off their green-fingered talents.

The most popular category is Best Front Garden – but there are also specialist categories including Best Hanging Basket, Best Container Garden and Best Community Garden. The pub and restaurant which produce the best displays will be honoured and there is an award for the Best Business Premises, which could cover anything from a shop, office building to industrial premises.A school grounds award will be given not just for areas that are attractive and well-maintained, but also on the educational use of the grounds for the pupils.

The awards are not just restricted to beautiful displays of flowers – but also to vegetables with prizes going to Best Allotment Site and Best Plot. In addition, there is a bio-diversity award which will be awarded to an area which supports the wildlife population and creates habitats which attract new species through the use of plantings, nesting sites, refuges and natural food sources.A new category, Best Capital Growth Area, will be awarded to residents who are creating new food growing spaces in their neighbourhoods.

Nomination forms will soon be available at local libraries and Council buildings. All entries must be received by 30 June. The winners will be announced in October. The aim of Havering In Bloom is to transform the appearance of the borough, instil pride in local people and to make it more attractive to visitors.

Bob Wenman, Head of Streetcare, said:"We know how much people love their gardens in Havering and take great pride in the homes and surroundings. Last year we had more entries than ever before but this year could be even bigger. Its amazing how uplifting a few flowers or hanging baskets can be – it can really transform a garden or office building."

Please click here for more information on the Havering in Bloom 2010 or to download the info leaflet and entry form.