How a Banbury area pub will be making its own special tribute for Remembrance weekend
and live on Freeview channel 276
Customers will be welcomed to the pub by two Silent Tommies standing guard alongside a ferret armoured car and a poppy cascade as they enter the pub. Once inside customers will be greeted with live wartime music played by Stephen Nash.
The Armistice Weekend will be held at The Saye and Sele Arms pub located on the Main Road, Broughton near Banbury on Friday November 12 and Saturday November 13.
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Customers can choose from the wartime themed Ration Book Menu, which features some perennial favourites from spam fritters, to corn beef hash, to chicken and vegetable stew with dumplings. Diners will be entertained by Stephen Nash playing live accompanied by professional singer Nicky Bramble with more period favourites. Diners will have a chance to join in with a sing along (song sheets provided) to recreate the blitz spirit.
Paul Hawkins-Row, who runs The Saye and Sele Arms, said: "We do this each year as a tribute to the fallen - from a former serviceman - we believe it is important to recognise their sacrifice and to learn from those historical mistakes to ensure that it never happens again.
"But it's also for those that can remember those times to relive the joy and the binds of friendship that were forged during those incredibly difficult times."
Not only is the pub decorated in patriotic colours and flags it also has two old restored military vehicles on display in front of the pub. An armoured car called a Daimler Ferret Scout Car Mk. 1 sits directly in front of the pub. Another vehicle called the Green Goddess, which sits in the corner of the car park, is a restored military fire engine.
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Both vehicles are on loan for the pub's Armistice Weekend from village resident, Nathan Allan, who restores old vehicles and other items for people in the community. The vehicles are from his collection.
Part of the cost of every meal during the pub's Armistice Weekend will be donated to the chosen charities of The Royal British Legion and Help For Heroes.
To book your table during the Armistice Weekend at The Saye and Sele Arms call 01295 263348.
Paul added: "We have done this since we owned the pub from Dec 2018, Covid obviously put paid to the plans last year but we intend to continue this on an annual basis.
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"I just feel that it's important to value our servicemen and women and to respect the level of sacrifice that they are all prepared to give to protect our culture, traditions, democracy and way of life."