Lynne Mowbray |

Every ANZAC Day for the last few years, residents of Uniting Caroona Yamba have held their own ANZAC Day service.

Caroona’s Leisure and Wellness co-ordinator Ann Duke said that the service went off very well.

“Each year new residents will step in and take their turn on running the service,” Ms Duke said.

“A couple of the residents this year were practicing for the last six weeks, since I asked them if they would like to do their part (in this year’s service).

“They would go outside and they’d be practicing between the two of them and getting it just right. So it was wonderful.

“This year was the first time that we had a bugle, or cornet it was, which played the last post. The gentleman wasn’t a resident; he was an outsider that came in to play for us. It was a nice touch.

“(The rest of the service) was done by all the residents; laying the wreath, raising the flag etc.

“We all sang ‘Abide with me’ and we had a reading ‘Flanders Fields’.

“The Introduction and Commemorative address for the service was given by John Dimond. The reading was presented by Joyce McLaren. Bill Brown said the prayer and Peter Dunning gave The Ode of Remembrance. The wreath laying was done by Jim Hughes and the flag raising was performed by Alan Alcock.

“We also have three or four ladies that at the start of every year will sit and knit and crochet over 100 poppies for ANZAC Day.

“The majority of residents attended the annual service, which was lovely,” she said.