Seeing people cheering us on was fantastic

Jul 17 2009

CHIEF petty officer Hugh Shand spent 22 years in the Royal Navy before joining the Naval Reserves.

The Troon man is currently based at Gannet and was thrilled to take part in the Freedom ceremony and the parade.

He said: “It’s been a very proud day.

“I’ve been at Gannet on and off throughout my career and we’ve always got on well with the community.

“To march down Ayr High Street and see the smiles on the faces of the people cheering us on was fantastic.”

And Ayrshire lass Suzanne Cochrane was equally proud to parade in front of a home crowd on Friday.

She said: “It’s been a great experience and I’m proud to have been part of it.”