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Town stands still for Hussars
It wasn't snow that brought Leyland to a standstill on Tuesday it was an army of 150 soldiers with their cavalry and band.
Crowds braved the freezing temperatures to line the streets of the town centre to give The King's Royal Hussars a heroes welcome.
The regiment, made up of soldiers from Leyland and across Lancashire, were exercising their Freedom of South Ribble and were met by a rapture of applause.
Schoolchildren waved their flags and cheered as the procession emerged from the Civic Centre at 11am flanked by two large police horses and a police car with blue flashing lights.
The band led the 150 soldiers, dressed in their pristine crimson and green uniforms, from the centre after Mayor of South Ribble, Coun Barrie Yates, conducted a full inspection with Colonel of the Regiment David Woodd.
The parade - the first in Leyland since 2003 - has taken a year to organise.
Major Trevor Winchcombe, who was tasked with the logistics of the parade, said: "We have liased with the council, local police and authorities since last December in order to plan the parade.
"The King's Royal Hussars were first awarded the Freedoms of South Ribble and Preston in 1992 and it means that we can march through the town with weapons drawn and our band playing.
"Over the past three or four years the soldiers have been involved in many tours of Afghanistan and Iraq and it is nice for them to come back to Leyland and feel a part of the community."
For more on this story, see this week's Leyland Guardian
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Weather for Leyland
Thursday 24 May 2012
Today
Sunny
Temperature: 14 C to 20 C
Wind Speed: 12 mph
Wind direction: North west
Tomorrow
Sunny
Temperature: 12 C to 23 C
Wind Speed: 15 mph
Wind direction: East
