THE SUN eventually came out to join thousands of people in Newport in celebrating Armed Forces Day in the city today.

A parade representing all of the armed forces, as well as veterans, was applauded through the city streets as it wound from High Street to John Frost Square this morning.

The members of the parade were saluted by Lord-Lieutenant of Gwent Brigadier Robert Aitken.

After the formal part of the day and once the ranks of service personell had filed out of the square, attendees rushed to Newport City Footbridge to catch a glimpse of the promised flypast from the Red Arrows.

After waiting until the allotted time, only those quick on the camera shutter were able to get a picture - with the planes zooming past in a split second and off into the skies above Gwent.

There was a rumble of disappointment among those on the bridge, with one gentleman remarking that he had travelled three hours to Newport "for that".

Another said the Red Arrows' appearance had been "a bit pants".

However, moods were lifted when an RAF Atlas cargo plane flew low overhead.

Along the riverfront in the city were stalls representing an array of different parts of the armed forces.

Most popular proved to be those with the opportunity to try out some of the hardware used on the battlefield, such as Stingers, anti-tank weapons and heavy machine guns.

There was also music provided by Newport City Radio.

A planned spitfire flypast had been cancelled due to the weather - which ended up being perfect - and a pair of parachute jump displays were also called off at the last minute, despite crowds having already gathered.

On a more sombre note, a service of remembrance was held at the Riverfont to remember those lost in HMS Turbulent during World War Two.

Follow our live coverage of the day - complete with some brilliant photos sent in by our readers - here.