Dedication of New Standard for the Royal British Legion

On Friday, 26th November 2010, a new Standard for the Crosby Branch of the Royal British Legion was dedicated at St. Faith’s, Great Crosby. 
The ceremony involved “laying up” the old Standard which will now rest in St Faith’s church whilst the new one is used for all future Crosby Branch RBL engagements.

The old standard is over 50 years old and it is the norm to lay a standard up after approximately this length of service. 
Interestingly, the previous standard to this was laid up in September 1958 at St Mary’s church in Waterloo Park. 

Great Crosby British Legion was formed in 1928 and amalgamated with Waterloo and Seaforth in 1941 to become the Borough of Crosby British Legion. 
Royal status was granted to the British Legion in 1971, requiring the wording on the standard to be altered.
 So thus far, our local RBL has had just three standards in its time and the two old ones now reside in our own two churches in the United Benefice.

The standards are well-travelled. 
The one now laid up in St. Faith’s was one of the 124 standards selected to parade at Westminster Abbey when the British Legion became “Royal”. 
Later in the same year, two members of Crosby’s RBL were invited to Buckingham Palace and the standard was taken with them. 
In 1977 the Crosby Standard went to Horse Guards Parade and then on to Windsor Castle in celebration of the Queen’s Silver Jubilee.

On the 25th April in 1997, the 75th anniversary of Anzac (national day of remembrance in Australia and New Zealand)
the standard appeared in Ballarat in Victoria, Australia. 

The new standard was donated by the kind giving of the people of Crosby, Waterloo and Seaforth. 
At the recent ceremony to dedicate the standard, attendees included The Lord Lieutenant, Dame Lorna E.F. Muirhead DBE,
The Mayor of Sefton, Maureen Fearn, Mr Joe Benton MP, Mr Bill Esterton MP plus a number of RBL County members.

A parade from the Civic Hall to St Faith’s and back again took place and involved the Territorial Army and various other Associations. 
Parade Marshal Mr. A. Millar (Dusty) kept good order and a short gathering for refreshments and photographs took place at the Civic Hall afterwards.   

Geoff Dunn's photos show highlights of the service at St Faith's,m with Fr Neil Kelley presiding.












Words and pictures: Geoff Dunn

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