SINCERE congratulations must go to Julian Sandy and his team, Amanda Fry, Hazel Randall and the Town Hall staff who helped organise the recent Children’s Festival at Meyrick Park.

Thousands of people attended and first thing in the morning the mayor, Lord Lieutenant of Dorset and Nigel Beale, the great grandson of the founder of Beales, rode in a horse-drawn carriage followed by the councillors of Bournemouth, a superb marching band and hundreds of school children and their parents. This was to recreate the Children’s Festival which was held 100 years ago but sadly stopped due to the start of World War One.

This was Bournemouth at its best. The sun shone and all walks of life from Bournemouth met together at Meyrick Park.

Families could enjoy a free event listening to the bands, singers and children’s entertainers. The Rubyz team were there as they are at every festival and it was just a wonderful day for the town.

The children who walked through the gardens and behind the mayor’s procession were all presented with peace medals for a keepsake of the day.

Let’s hope that in another 100 years’ time, someone with the vision and organisation skills of Julian Sandy and team will recreate this again, but who knows? We could, with funding, do this again next year.

CLLR ANNE REY, leader of the Independents, Bournemouth Borough Council