Blandford youngsters join moving tribute in Whitehall (From Bournemouth Echo)

Blandford youngsters join moving tribute in Whitehall

8:00am Wednesday 11th November 2009

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MILLIONS of people tuned in to watch the Queen lay a wreath to fallen service personnel on Sunday.

And among the thousands of people who took part in this year’s solemn march past the Cenotaph memorial in central London were three young people from Blandford.

Genevieve Corben, 17, Matthew Chester, 16, and Adam Tench, 16, marched down Whitehall alongside political leaders, senior military figures, and retired and serving soldiers.

Matthew said: “It was a once in a lifetime opportunity and a brilliant day out. I had been to visit the war graves in Belgium last year and the parade brought back many memories.”

The three teenagers are all members of the Blandford cadet unit of the St John Ambulance and represented the Dorset branch of the lifesaving charity on the march.

They travelled to London on Saturday and took part in a full dress rehearsal in front of the Albert Hall in preparation for Sunday’s parade.

“We marched at the back of the parade. We made the “eyes left” gesture as we passed the Cenotaph, while the adult leaders gave the salute,” said Matthew.

Genevieve, an A-level student at The Blandford School, said the scale of the parade had left a lasting impression.

“The were four huge rows of people waiting to march. We were next to the SAS, and there was a large contingent of Ghurka soldiers. The whole of London was silent. It was an amazing experience,” said Genevieve.

Adam said: “When we marched past the Cenotaph there were huge crowds of people and photographers. The guards were stood very straight. It was a moving occasion.”

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