SCARLET against a blue winter sky, Red Ensigns borne by former merchant seamen from all parts of Britain converged in Newport in honour of the city's sailors.

The church of St Stephen's in Pill, which has strong maritime connections, was filled as the Newport branch of the Merchant Navy Association paraded its new standard for blessing at the weekend.

Among the VIPs present were the mayor of Newport Councillor Ken Critchley and Mrs Critchley, Lord Dafydd Elis-Thomas, Presiding Officer of the National Assembly and Lady Thomas, Jess Morden, MP for Newport East, Sir Harry Jones former leader of Newport city council and himself a former ship's officer, Assembly Members William Graham and Rosemary Butler, and several Newport councillors.

Bertram Bale, chairman of the Newport branch of the Merchant Navy Association, said: "We are delighted to welcome to Newport sailors and ex-mariners from places as far apart as Plymouth in Devon to the East Coast of England.

"We even have the standard of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary which is the Royal Navy's logistic support at sea and manned by members of the Merchant Navy.

"The Royal Naval Association is represented along with standards from ex-service organisations of many regiments and corps of the British Army. "Our old colours did us proud but when Newport became a city we felt that we had to bring things up-to-date by incorporating the city's name into a new one."

Merchant Navy, auxiliary and ex-service association standards paraded included those of the Royal Fleet Auxiliary, Bristol Merchant Navy Association, Cardiff MNA, Walton-on-the-Naze (Essex) MNA, Plymouth MNA, Tamworth ( Staffs) MNA, Midlands (Wolverhampton) MNA, Pill and North Somerset MNA, MN Training Ship Vindicatrix, Pontypool branch of the Royal Regiment of Wales Old Comrades' Association, Newport branch of the Royal British Legion and the Parachute Regiment Association.

As the standards were being furled after the service, Mr Bale, who is also national vice-president of the Merchant Navy Association, said: "It has been a real gathering of the clans.

"Newport's connection with the Merchant Navy in times of peace and war has been underscored."

Lessons were read by Jess Morden MP, Councillor Critchley, and in Welsh by Wendy Bale.

The service was conducted by the Reverend Father Edward Mathias Jones, vicar of St Stevens.