HUNDREDS of people lined the streets of Nottingham to welcome soldiers home from Afghanistan.
Spectators applauded as around 200 troops from the Queen's Royal Lancers took part in the homecoming parade yesterday, accompanied by the band of the Coldstream Guards.
The march stepped off with a bang as the band led the march from St Mary's Church, in the Lace Market, past rows of people taking pictures on cameras and mobile phones.
John and Alison Monk, from Hucknall, were there to cheer on their son Liam in the parade.
Mr Monk said: "It's horrible when he's away, you're on a knife-edge, but he's proud of his job."
The march finished at the Old Market Square, where the Lord Mayor of Nottingham Councillor Merlita Bryan was joined by Lord Lieutenant Sir John Peace and retired Brigadier William Hurrell, a former senior officer of the regiment, took the salute.
The soldiers were applauded as they made their way back into the council house, and spectators approached soldiers to shake their hands and thank them.
Sergeant Major Andrew Long has been in the army for 13 years and said: "I couldn't stop smiling, it's a bit of excitement, and because we're from Nottingham it made us feel proud.
"I've heard a couple of the guys say that it made the hairs on the back of their necks stand up, and people were chanting things like 'welcome home'.
And Corporal Lloyd Doak, from Ruddington, has been in the army for 13 years and was on parade today, and said his main concerns during the parade were "keeping in formation and keeping in step with everyone else – and looking smart."
Children from Broomhill Junior School, in Hucknall, attended the march along with their headteacher Andrew Beckinsale-Yates and their school's site manager Paul Plaskett, who served with the regiment from 1988 to 1993.
Mr Plaskett arranged for the children to be photographed with the lance-holding guards after the parade.
Mr Beckinsale-Yates added: "I'm proud that the children at Broomhill Junior School can play a part in this special day." The children were all very excitable, with pupil Neveah Christie, 11, saying the best bit was "seeing all the people that were fighting for us" and the photo was also a hit, with ten-year-old Sam Froehling calling it a "once-in-a-lifetime opportunity" and Ben Butcher, 11, added: "It felt amazing – you only get to do that once."
The unit, which has historic associations with Notts, was deployed to Afghanistan in autumn last year and fulfilled a variety of roles, including reconnaissance and advising the Afghan police and army.
