91-year-old serviceman enjoys special moment with daughter at Brackley War Memorial on Remembrance Day

Emma Fletcher, from Hinton in the Hedges, reached out to the Banbury Guardian, to share the special time she had with her father, 91-year-old Michael Drummond Brady, to mark Remembrance Day. Michael Drummond Brady, who lives in a care home in Brackley, spent some of his outside time yesterday to visit the memorial in town.

The Covid-19 lockdowns have made keeping in touch with family difficult, but Remembrance Day provided an opportunity for the father and daughter to share a special moment.

Emma said: "He moved in on March 20th, just before lockdown and since then has shown remarkable resilience and stoicism. For March, April and May I visited him every day and we spoke through the locked gates in rain or sunshine. He marched each day up and down the small garden to keep fit.

"During this (second) lockdown he is still positive and resilient focusing on December 2nd. Visiting the memorial was extremely moving. He remembered former comrades as he stood proudly by himself.

"I was with him, but have to maintain social distancing at all times with a mask and gloves. This is so hard and difficult to explain to older people. We are now only allowed to meet at a public place for a short period during the day, so this was very special and gave us a real purpose to our day."

Michael Drummond Brady served with the Royal Sussex Regiment after Sandhurst in 1950. He later served in Egypt during the Suez crisis, and then onto Aden, Malta, Singapore, Germany. His last posting abroad was in Northern Ireland serving with the 3rd Batallion Queens Regiment in 1970. He then worked at the Ministry of Defence in the Army training directorate. After retiring as major he then joined Her Majesty's Body Guard of the Honourable Corps of Gentlemen at Arms, and served the Queen from 1982 - 1999.

Other people all across the Banbury area paid their respects to those who gave the ultimate sacrifice and those who still their country for Remembrance Day.

Members of the Royal British Legion Banbury led an Armistice Day service Wednesday morning in People's Park.

Three buglers from the Banbury Royal British Legion branch did not let the Covid-19 lockdown restrictions keep them from showing respect as part of Remembrance Sunday.

Buglers Chris Page, Mike Neal and Don Claridge played the Last Post followed by a brief two minute silence then Reveille outside a home in Middleton Cheney on Remembrance Sunday.

Chris Smithson with the Banbury Royal British Legion shared the video on social media today for Remembrance Day, November 11.

Chris said: "For over 45 years our Banbury Royal British Legion Remembrance Day buglers (Ex St John’s Band), have played at St Mary’s Church and the People’s Park War Memorial, along with on the day playing at several other churches.

To mark Remembrance Day, Highmarket House care home, in Banbury, recreated a wall of poppies on one of their balconies, which is visible from outside the home. Residents also took part in a variety of art activities centred around poppies, and were delighted that their homemade poppy wreath was added to the town’s war memorial.