Thousands of people flocked to the seaside town of Felixstowe in 2017 for a fun-filled two days celebrating Suffolk Armed Forces Weekend 2017.

Saluting our Armed Forces, past and present – the action-packed event was hosted by East Suffolk Council on Saturday and Sunday (24 and 25 June).

As well as providing fun for all the family, the event had a serious side – recognising the huge contribution made by our servicemen and women, as well as marking the important 350th anniversary of the Dutch attack on Landguard Fort (which was the last time foreign forces launched an armed landing on English soil).

Cllr TJ Haworth-Culf, said: “This was a fantastic event for the county of Suffolk, East Suffolk Council and the town of Felixstowe itself. The mix of historic re-enactments, thanking our Armed Forces for their work and providing a varied programme of entertainment for all the family was a great hit with everyone. The atmosphere in Felixstowe was fantastic and the weekend provided a great showcase for what the resort has to offer. However, all this did not happen by accident. The organising committee, spearheaded by our staff at Felixstowe Forward, put in a tremendous amount of hard work, not only coming up with the idea for the event but organising everything to make it such a big success”.

“I would like to thank the organising committee for their hard work and dedication to creating this enjoyable

weekend. Their commitment has been outstanding. I would also like to thank the many volunteers, who gave up their weekend to make the two days so much fun for everyone else”.

On Saturday, visitors including many military personnel and their families enjoyed a great day out at the seaside, which included live music, historical re-enactments, children’s entertainment, an air display and fireworks. Several key seafront attractions also offered special discounts and offers for military personnel. On Sunday, the English were champions again as visitors enjoyed a spectacular re-creation of the 1667 Battle of Landguard Fort against the dastardly Dutch. Amidst the cannon fire, swords and muskets, ‘Captain Darell’ raised the English flag leading his men to victory.

Paul Grant, organiser of Suffolk Armed Forces Weekend in Felixstowe, said: “We are thrilled that the weekend has proved to be a huge success. We would like to thank everyone who came along to say ‘Thank You’ to all our Armed Forces by attending this event”.

“I would also like to thank everyone involved in putting this event together for their hard work – with a particularly big shout out to all the volunteers who helped make things work so smoothly over both days”.

The Suffolk Armed Forces Weekend was a county event, hosted by East Suffolk Council and held in Felixstowe. This was very much a community event, supported by a variety of organisations such as the Suffolk Armed Forces Community Covenant, Royal British Legion, Felixstowe Town Council, Suffolk County Council, Landguard Fort Trust and the Royal Marines Association, as well as East Suffolk Council.

Visit the Landguard Fort vimeo page to watch the official films from the weekend at https://vimeo.com/user73874989