MEMBERS of the Royal Welsh Regimental Association gathered in St. John the Evangelist church in Newport today, for the dedication of two new standards.

The Newport City Branch were presented with a new standard and laid their old one to rest in the church, while the Band and Drums branch were presented with their first ever standard.

The standards were presented to the branches outside the church, before being dedicated in a church service and then paraded up the road. Members of the Band and Drums corps played inside the church and on parade up the usually quiet Newport Street.

The Band and Drums standard was presented by Western Power Distribution, who sponsored it.

Terry Young, secretary of the Band and Drums branch of the Royal Welsh Regimental Association, said: “It’s been a long time coming. We’ve been going for four years and we never had a standard.”

As this year marks the centenary of the First World War, Mr Young said the standard will be on parade a lot.

He said: “It will be on parade all over Wales this year.”