HUNDREDS of people attended two events in The Gazette area to mark Armed Forces Day.

The village of Odiham held its regular parade and Bands and Booze music festival, while tanks and military vehicles were on display at a Basingstoke museum.

The seventh annual Armed Forces Day took place on Saturday and was originally established as a way of supporting the contribution made by those in the services.

The Odiham event saw hundreds of people line High Street for a parade of personnel from RAF Odiham.

This year, former North East Hampshire MP James Arbuthnot took the salute, alongside group captain Richard Maddison, the station commander at the north Hampshire airbase.

Both men made speeches in The Bury at the end of the parade, with the station commander praising the links between the airbase and the village.

Personnel were handed a gift and a scroll to mark the occasion after a rendition of the national anthem.

Councillor Jon Hale, chairman of Odiham Parish Council, said: “Our community really values the opportunity to show our support and respect for our armed forces, but especially our friends at RAF Odiham.

“Station Commander Maddison will be moving on to a new post later this year, so this was also our chance to thank him for his extensive contributions to our community that he has made during his time here.”

The parade was followed by the music festival, which involved local bands playing in The Bury, as well as stalls, local ales and a hog roast.

A Centurion tank was among military vehicles that attracted plenty of curiosity at Milestones museum on Armed Forces Day.

The renovated tank painted in the livery of the Queen’s Dragoon Guards was part of The Ramsdell Collection on display outside the museum, raising more than £800 for the Gurkha Welfare Trust.

The money will go towards the Nepal Earthquake Appeal.

John Davies, who owns the collection, said he was delighted with the money raised and interest peopled showed in the collection.

He said: “It was a fantastic day and we met some amazing people.

“One was a serviceman who came from Woking, who lost his leg in Afghanistan.

“Another man from Basingstoke started his National Service with the army in 1955, the very year the tank was built.

“He served in a Centurion.

“When he saw our tank he just kept looking at it so we let him climb into the driver’s seat, which he seemed very familiar with.”

Mr Davies said one of the main reasons for the exhibition was to show support for Basingstoke Multicultural Forum, which is one of three charities that are part of this year’s Mayor’s Charity Appeal.

“We wanted to support the mayor with this charity that is breaking down barriers and working across community boundaries,” he added.

“When we asked councillor Anne Court to come along she was very enthusiastic, dropping everything to come first thing in the morning.”