By Chris Paul
Members of the Londonderry Lancers Marching Band and Color Guard were gathered in the band room early Friday morning, Jan. 6, and received the news that the group has been invited to march in the 2024 New Year’s Day Parade in London, England.
The announcement was made to the band by Steve Summers, the chair of London’s Mayors Association, via a videoconference from England.
The New Year’s Day Parade and Festival will take place on the first of January of 2024, giving students lots of time for fund-raising.
Summers told the students that about 8,000 participants have been invited and about 200,000 spectators are expected to be along the parade route. He added that there was an estimate of about 350 million people watching the 2023 event.
The parade starts at Piccadilly square, goes through Piccadilly Circus, through Trafalgar Square by Big Ben and Parliament, and finishes near Westminster Abby.
Music Director, Serge Beaulieu, said they have been aware of the offer since early November and have been in discussions with the London committee since then. The Londonderry School Board will need to give the trip their blessing before it has been made official.