Royal guest for Dowding service

Prince Richard, the Duke of Gloucester, will attend the ceremony in Station Park on September 6 and lay a wreath to remember the man who is considered one of the masterminds of the Battle of Britain.
Speaking on behalf of the organising committee, Jean Purves explained the service will largely follow the usual schedule but with a few special additions.
Dumfries Town Band will play and Moffat Community Choir will perform. A special rendition of ‘Salute to Dowding’, which was composed by a Moffat pupil in 2000, will also be played.
Mrs Purves said: “The service will largely follow the same format but there will be more groups wishing to lay wreathes.
“Hopefully because of the importance of it and because of more involvement from Dumfries and Galloway Council, we are hoping for much bigger media presence.
“We want as many members of the public to come along and be part of the service, it is a public park after all.
“We are in the process of finalising the role of the Duke of Gloucester.”
As usual, fighter aircraft, a Spitfire and a Hurricane, will perform a flypast during the service.
The commemoration to Lord Dowding in his birthplace of Moffat was started by the late Irene Park over 40 years ago.