Sunday 5th May - Monday 6th May 2013
Ocean Cruise Terminal Southampton Docks
The cadets attended this two day event for the first time ever as this was the first maritime festival ever held. The theme of the festival was Maritime Heritage as the Festival included the arrival of the newly restored Steam Tug Challenge, and a few remaining Dunkirk Little Ships to name but a few.
The Festival opened on Sunday with the Unit Band playing on the Quayside while the Guest of Honour was Piped ashore by the Unit Piping Party and greeted by a Guard of Honour, the guest of honour was HRH Prince Michael of Kent, who went on to inspect the Band before he took lunch on board SS Shieldhall.
The Band played several sets over the two days and the support cadets manned the recruiting stand, all cadets took advantage of visiting the attractions while at the Festival which included trips round all the historic ships and watching two fly pasts of a Lancaster Bomber whilst the band played the theme music to Top Gun.
The Festival was brought to a close by the Unit Band Beating the Retreat and on completion of Evening Hymn and Sunset the Dunkirk Little Ships accompanied by SS Shieldhall slipped their moorings to form a sail past before returning to their home ports.