By Duncan Bick

Last updated at 11:48, Thursday, 09 August 2012

Alan Wills didn’t take Olympic gold but he’ll get a champion’s welcome when he returns home.

A sign shows the details of the procession

The archer, who represented Britain in both the individual and teamcontests, is all set to get his own parade on Monday.

The village of Lazonby, where his girlfriend Gail Eastham, who organised the event, lives, will come out to celebrate his return.

This will feature a parade from the village’s duck pond to its hall, where speeches will be made to celebrate his homecoming.

It will feature Penrith Brass Band, local club the Beacon Archers, whose facilities Alan, 31, trains with, and, of course, the competitor himself.

Bunting is already up in the village and posters advertising the event are up on a number of streets.

Several people told the News & Star they were looking forward to seeing the occasion.

Anne Noble, 49, who lives in the village’s main street, said: “It’s exciting to have somebody in the village that has been to the Olympics.

“I think it will inspire the young ones. They see it on television and it inspires them.”

Marie Forsyth, 32, of Batondale said she would be taking her six-month-old son Harrison along to see the parade.

“I don’t know of anybody else from the area who’s been to the Olympics,” she commented.

Mark Radford , 52, landlord of the Midland Hotel, which has been covered in bunting for the Games, is visiting family in Yorkshire on Monday but will be there in spirit. “I think it’s brilliant,” he said.

Alan is originally from Frizington, and took up his sport aged 14 at Sellafield Archery Club.

At the Games, Alan competed at Lords Cricket Ground but missed out on a medal. After the closing ceremony in London on Sunday night, he will return to his native county. The parade is scheduled to begin at 6pm and there will be a commemorative guest book to sign.

First published at 11:24, Thursday, 09 August 2012
Published by http://www.newsandstar.co.uk