Stourbridge set to host third annual military vehicle parade

The event, organised by Stourbridge resident and military vehicle fan David Spruce to support the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal, has proved hugely popular this past couple of years and this year’s event is shaping up to be the biggest to date.

Around 40 vehicles, ranging from tanks, trucks and jeeps from all over the Midlands, will feature in the parade taking place this Saturday (November 9) before Remembrance Sunday.

David said: “The highlight of this year's parade will be John Pearson's 1943 Valentine tank, thought to be the only one running on the roads today.”

The Valentine 1943 tank which will be one of the highlights of this year's parade (Image: Stourbridge Military Vehicle Parade)

The parade will start at the top of Stourbridge High Street at 11am.

The Shirley Pipe Band will lead the procession down the High Street, along Market Street, onto the ring road and onto the Bonded Warehouse in Canal Street where the vehicles will be on display until 3pm.

Meanwhile, shops across the town have decorated their windows as part of the parade’s associated best dressed window competition – sponsored by Pre Metro (operators of the Stourbridge Shuttle which David works for).

The Mary Stevens Hospice shop in Victoria Passage decorated for Remembrance (Image: David Spruce)

The Mary Stevens Hospice shop in Victoria Passage was voted the winner and was awarded £150.

L-r - parade organiser David Spruce, with Emma Chatterton – manager at The Mary Stevens Hospice shop in Victoria Passage, and former Stourbridge MP Suzanne Webb and Steve Jasper of Pre Metro who judged the window competition. (Image: David Spruce)

Eyewise Opticians in Market Street won second prize of £100 which will be donated to Peppers Pet Rescue; and Card Stop in the High Street won the third prize of £50 which will be donated to The Mary Stevens Hospice.

Anyone with a military vehicle that would like to take part in Saturday's parade can call David Spruce on 07986 170715 or register at www.stourbridgemvp.co.uk

A number of roads will be closed from 11.30am to 12.15pm to enable the parade to go ahead safely. Temporary road closures will be in place for:

Amblecote High Street (from Canal Street to the ring road), St Johns Road / ring road (between Amblecote High Street and Stourbridge High Street), Stourbridge High Street, Market Street and Bell Street.

The roads will be reopened once the parade has passed.

Remembrance parades and services will also be taking place across the borough on Sunday November 10 in Stourbridge (Mary Stevens Park), Lye, Wall Heath, Wordsley, Kingswinford, Pensnett, Brierley Hill, Quarry Bank, Sedgley, Lower Gornal, Halesowen, Cradley and Dudley, with an event taking place at Shell Corner on the evening of Friday November 8.