The RAF Wyton Band leading the Civic Parade on Sunday 28th September 2003

Every year the Mayor of St Ives, currently Councillor Kevin Reynolds, invites the other councillors to join him and his Chaplin, Father Paul Maddison of the Roman Catholic Parish Church of the Sacred Heart, in a short service of thanksgiving.

Each year the office of Mayor and Mayor's Chaplin may change hands and therefore so can the location of the service, however what does not change is the assembly and parade of the local Armed Forces, British Legion and Youth Groups based in the town.

After the service the assembly marches through the town centre accompanied this year by the RAF Wyton Voluntary Band. Many may ask "why do this?" but one only needs to look on the faces of the children taking part to have one's question answered. It is these civic events that allow the youth of the town to take pride in themselves and take an active part in the community of the town and for those youths of earlier times to show off their medals and remind us of the debt we have to them.