Association Memorial Events 2025

We are pleased to announce the details of this years memorial weekend in Plymouth and elsewhere to mark the 85th anniversary.

The Plymouth memorial weekend will take place from the 6th to the 8th June.

Please note that hotel rooms are available at the Drake Hotel,2 Windsor Villas, Lockyer Street, Plymouth, PL12QD – phone No. 01752 229 730 – email info@drakehotelplymouth.co.uk.
If you wish to stay at the hotel for the weekend, ask to speak to Danielle, Jenny or Kevin as they are the people dealing with the GLARAC weekend.

Kidderminster - HMS Glorious Locomotive Re-dedication, 17th May 2025

Originally planned for the 80th anniversary in 2020 until the pandemic resulted in cancellation, the fully restored locomotive 50033 HMS Glorious will be re-dedicated for the 85th anniversary.

This will take place on Saturday, May 17th, commencing at 11.30 am, at The Severn Valley Railway in Kidderminster. There is no admission charge, but parking costs £4 per day. Seating will be provided for anyone who requires it.

This is great honour for Glorious to be remembered by the SVR and the Class 50 Alliance, which also own locomotives named after other great ships, Hood, Ark Royal, Exeter, Defiance, Exeter and Hercules.

The itinerary for the visit is a as follows

Rededication of 50033 Glorious held on the platform with representation from HMS Glorious Association and the Royal Navy

11:30 Light refreshments provided

12:00 - 12:45

Sea Cadet guard of Honour and invited dignitaries proceed to the platform in front of the locomotive and gathered audience.

Ceremony

* Welcome
* Service of remembrance for HMS Glorious and her crew
* Speeches

13:00 /13:30

Locomotive and saloon observation coach are attached to service train and travel to Hampton Loade or Bridgnorth with return to Kidderminster with 50033

Invited guests will travel in the luxury observation saloon with refreshments provided as our guests.

Round trip takes approximately 3 .5 hours.

This event is due to take place during the Severn Valley Railway Spring diesel gala and the railway will be busy.

The railway has a large car park and I can consult to arrange some reserved parking spaces if required.

Kidderminster mainline National Rail train station is right next to Kidderminster SVR station.
For those interested in attending, please contact Vinny Marcroft
email: clarionst@yahoo.com

Plymouth, 6th-8th June 2025

Friday 6th June:
8:00 pm onwards. A casual drink at the Gipsy Moth Pub, 159 Citadel Road, The Hoe, Plymouth, PL1 2HU close to the Naval Memorial.
This is a chance to meet up and have a chat, particularly aimed at those who have travelled for the weekend, but all are welcome
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Saturday 7th June: Plymouth Naval Memorial

11:00 am: GLARAC AGM at The Drake Hotel, Lockyer Street.
Refreshments will be available.

2:00 pm: Plymouth Naval Memorial, Citadel Road. Gathering and short memorial service adjacent the 1940 memorial plaques.

19:00 onwards: Our main social gathering at the Drake Hotel, Lockyer Street, Plymouth. All welcome. Please come along for a drink and a chat. There will be a buffet and bar available.
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Sunday 8th June: St. Nicholas, HM Naval Base Devonport

10:30 AM: Service of Remembrance at St. Nicholas on the HM Naval Base, Devonport. This will also include the laying of wreaths at our memorial plaque within the church. This was our first plaque, unveiled in 2001.
As this is an operational Naval Base, security is tight. Interested parties please contact Lauren Woodward at: lksoar1985@gmail.com

Our Memorial Plaque

12:00 Noon: Following the Service, attendees are invited for buffet refreshments at the Drake Hotel on Lockyer Street. All welcome. Bar facilities available.

Cenotaph Parade, London November 9th 2025

We will once again be taking part in the RBL Remembrance parade in Whitehall this year.
Any members who would like to take part, should contact Lauren Woodward at the following email address:

lksoar1985@gmail.com

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On the occasion of the 80th anniversary, our Norwegian friends in Harstad marked the event on our behalf. Great thanks go to Harald Isachsen, local historian and honourary member of our Association, who was instrumental in making sure this went ahead.

Please click on the following link to see a short video this event...

https://vimeo.com/426970381

GLARAC memorial at Trondenes, Harstad 8th June 2020