Mayor Toni Pérez presided over the ceremony alongside Anthony Crabb, Defence Attaché at the British Embassy in Spain
Dozens of British residents paid tribute to the fallen and showed their support for retired military personnel and their families at this charity event, held at Aula del Mar
Benidorm hosted the events organised by the Royal British Legion (RBL) as part of its annual Poppy Appeal this Saturday. Through the sale of paper poppies, the organisation raises funds to support British ex-service personnel and their families who have served in armed conflicts since the First World War.
Benidorm Mayor Toni Pérez presided over the parade and subsequent tribute to British war veterans alongside Anthony Crabb, Defence Attaché at the British Embassy in Spain. Also attending were Sara Munsterhjel, Vice-Consul in Alicante; Stephen Lee, a member of the Royal British Legion’s Board of Trustees; the RBL’s District Chaplain in Spain, the Reverend Richard Seabrook; and local RBL President Paul Kane, together with other members of the organisation.
The parade set off shortly before 11 a.m. from Castellón Avenue, featuring the traditional march of standards accompanied by the Torrevieja Pipes and Drums band, which brought colour and music to a day dedicated to remembrance. Hundreds of people followed the procession along Levante seafront, applauding the participants and taking photographs with them. Particular attention was paid to the oldest veterans, including Raymond Barber, a 94-year-old British resident who has lived in Benidorm for more than four decades and wore the same uniform he wore when serving in the Royal Navy more than 70 years ago.
For the first time, Aula del Mar's outdoor gardens hosted the commemoration. The ceremony began with three minutes of silence in honour and remembrance of British service personnel who lost their lives in armed conflicts. Tribute was also paid to the volunteers responsible for raising funds to support veterans.
Mayor Toni Pérez then addressed the gathering, welcoming all participants once again and describing it as a “true honour” to take part in the Poppy Appeal ceremony. He said it was an opportunity “to pay tribute to all those who served in the Armed Forces with courage and dedication, and defended the values of freedom, justice and peace”.
“Benidorm is proud to maintain close ties with the British community, with the thousands of British citizens who choose Benidorm every year for their holidays, making the city an ideal place of happiness and a bastion of hospitality, but also with those who came here decades ago and made this land, and other destinations along the Costa Blanca, their home,” he said.
“We are proud to welcome them today — and always — with affection, because they are an essential part of our social, cultural and tourism life,” he added.
Toni Pérez also highlighted that “the Poppy Appeal is a British tradition, but its message has universal significance. Remembrance knows no borders, nor does respect for those who sacrificed their lives so that future generations could live in freedom and peace”.
Following the official speeches, the national anthems of Spain and the United Kingdom were played. The standards then took part in the final march, after which the participants were dismissed, and the ceremony came to a close.
The Royal British Legion is a non-profit organisation which distributes 25 million fabric poppies worldwide through its annual Poppy Appeal. It has more than 700,000 members, including around 4,000 in Spain and more than 1,000 in the province of Alicante.
