Littlehampton cadets proud to play alongside HMS Victory

Sixteen members of the band of TS Implacable, the Littlehampton division of the Nautical Training Corps, performed during the Royal Naval Museum’s Navy Neverland event in the Victory Arena at the Portsmouth Historic Docks.

They joined with three other bands from NTC divisions from the south of West Sussex to form a massed band for the opening of the event, and then led a group of Royal Marines from the side of HMS Victory to Victory Gates, where the Marines set off on the first leg of pulling a 1,800lb Royal Navy field gun all the way from Portsmouth Docks to Poole Quay.

Just over an hour later, Implacable’s band drew enthusiastic applause from hundreds of people when they returned to the arena to perform on their own, and then at 4.10pm the Littlehampton division and the three others formed up again for the final event of the day. Implacable’s band had the honour of playing Evening Hymn and Sunset, to close.

Implacable’s chief officer Stuart Ginnaw said: “It was an amazing engagement – we never thought that we would get to play in front of HMS Victory, or to be asked to play at such a important national event.

“The cadets from the bands played their hearts out and proved that the youth of today can do so much.”