September 10 was Malta Day in the UK. The event was organised by the Malta High Commission in London in cooperation with various Maltese groups here.

During the morning a Maltese fair was held in the hall attached to Westminster Cathedral where various Maltese products were on sale.

In the afternoon Mass was celebrated in Westminster Cathedral itself in honour of il-Bambina, the child Mary, Our Lady of Victories.

Mons Charles Cordina was the principal celebrant and he had been delegated in this role by the Archbishop of Malta himself. The Mass was attended by both the President of Malta George Abela and his wife and by the Maltese High Commissioner in London Joseph Tabona and his wife. The St Paul Choral Society performed during the course of the Mass.

Following Mass we were treated to a fireworks display outside the cathedral followed by a procession through the streets when the statue of il-Bambina was carried aloft. I expected the procession to go through the side streets around the cathedral but instead we went along Victoria Street, a major thoroughfare in central London. The parade stopped parts of London’s traffic on the way to the Sacred Heart Chapel of Ease on Horseferry Road, Westminster.

In the evening a reception was held at the Corinthia Hotel, a Malta-owned hotel in Whitehall, where a good time was had by all those who attended.

It was a great day for the Maltese community in the UK and my wife, Judith, and I felt privileged to be a part of it.