It’s Remembrance Sunday this weekend, and there are events across the Cotswolds honouring those who served on behalf of Britain during times of war.
Cheltenham remembers
Remembrance service and parade
Sunday November 9, 11am
The war memorial in Cheltenham’s Long Gardens will be the centrepiece for the town’s service of remembrance and civic parade on Sunday.
A lone trumpeter will play ‘The last post’ before two minutes of silence at 11am. After the Reveille, the service continues with prayers, hymns and the national anthem, played by Gloucestershire Police Band.
The mayor will lay the first wreath at the war memorial followed by other civic dignitaries, including borough and county councillors, and representatives from local organisations. After the wreaths have been laid, the civic party will watch from the steps of the Municipal Offices as Cheltenham Silver Band leads the march past.
Taking part will be the Cheltenham branch of the Royal British Legion; Cheltenham Royal Naval Association; Rifles Gloucester; Joint Services Support Unit; 501 (County of Gloucester) Squadron Royal Auxiliary Air Force and Old Comrades. Also attending will be detachments from the naval, army and RAF cadets, and patrols from local scouts.
In the evening, the mayor will attend the Festival of Remembrance, which is organised by the Royal British Legion and held at the town hall.
The Remembrance Sunday events in Cheltenham follow on from the efforts by more than 1,400 intelligence agency staff at GCHQ to create a giant poppy in the centre of the GCHQ “doughnut’ building in the town.
Staff, dressed in red rain ponchos, marked the launch of the Royal British Legion’s Gloucestershire poppy appeal by forming the 38m (125ft) poppy.
----------------------
Gloucester remembers
Gloucester Cathedral Service of Remembrance and parade
Sunday November 9, 3pm
Gloucester Cathedral will hold a Service of Remembrance on Sunday. Attending the service will be Civic Dignitaries, including the High Sheriff and Vice Lord-Lieutenant, members of the Royal British Legion, Royal Naval Association, Gloucester Sea Cadets, serving and ex-members of the Armed Forces.
The Sermon will be preached by The Venerable Robert Springett, Archdeacon of Cheltenham and The Readings are by Lt General T P Evans CBE DSO, Allied Rapid Reaction Corps and The Right Worshipful The Mayor of Gloucester, Deb Llewellyn.
Prior to the service, at 2.50pm, the Royal Gloucestershire Hussars Remembrance Service and wreath laying will take place at the memorial on the lower Green.
Following the service, at approximately 4.30pm, a parade will form up outside the Cathedral before being led by the Standard Bearers on a march through the streets of Gloucester.
The Bishop of Tewkesbury, the Rt Revd Martyn Snow, said: “Across the Diocese, we will be standing together to remember those brave men and women who have given their lives for the freedom of others.
“The sacrifice that our soldiers have made – and continue to make – around the world should never be forgotten. Our thoughts and prayers are with all those families who have loved ones serving far from their homes.”
All are welcome to come and show their support. Admission is free and no ticket is required.
----------------------
Warwickshire remembers
Rememberance services and parades
Sunday November 9
Thousands of people are expected to gather to honour the lives of fallen servicemen and women from Coventry and Warwickshire on Remembrance Sunday.
In Coventry, crowds will gather in Spencer Road, Earlsdon, at 10.30am to begin the Remembrance Day parade to the cenotaph in Coventry’s War Memorial Park, where a wreath laying service will take place at 10.50am. A Service of Remembrance will also take place in Coventry Cathedral at 10.30am with an Act of Remembrance in the ruins at 11am. At 3pm, there will be a communal grave service at London Road Cemetery in Coventry to remember civilian casualties of the Coventry Blitz in World War Two.
In Leamington, a remembrance service will begin at 10.50am in front of the War Memorial in Euston Place. This is preceded by a short procession of local military units from Regent Street to Euston Place. Poppy wreaths will be laid at the war memorial and a two minute silence observed.
In Nuneaton, the parade will march from Coventry Street at 10am to the war memorial in Riversley Park. A two minute silence will be observed at 11am.
----------------------
Worcestershire remembers
Remembrance services
Sunday November 9
Parades, church services and two-minute silences will be held across Worcestershire to mark the end of the First World War, with veterans and serving military personnel participating in many of the ceremonies.
Remembrance events taking place in Worcestershire on Sunday include:
• Worcester City Centre
- A service of remembrance will take place at Worcester Cathedral at 10am, followed by an act of remembrance at the city war memorial at 11am.
- A commemorative service, which will be attended by two serving soldiers from the parish and the relatives of a fallen hero named on the church’s war memorial, will be held at St George’s Catholic Church at 11am.
• Broadway
- A ceremony will start at the war memorial at 10.45am followed by a service in St Michael’s Church.
• Droitwich
- A short service of dedication will take place at the town’s war memorial in Victoria Square from 10.45am. A two-minute silence will be held before the Last Post is played, followed by prayers and the laying of wreaths. The parade will then move to St Andrew’s Church, St Andrew’s Street, for a service at 11.15am.
• Evesham
- A service will take place at the war memorial in Abbey Park, starting with the playing of the Last Post at 10.59am followed by a service at All Saints’ Church,
• Kidderminster
- A special service honouring railway workers who lost their lives for their country will take place at the Severn Valley Railway’s station in Kidderminster at 10.45am.
• Ledbury
- A parade will start at St Katherine’s Gate at 10.30am before a service at the parish church at 11am.
• Malvern
- A remembrance service will be held in Christ Church at 10.45am, featuring Canon Harold Goddard and Malvern St James School.
- Wreaths will be laid at the war memorial in the library grounds, Graham Road, at 2pm, followed by a parade to Great Malvern Priory for a service at 3pm.
---------------------
Oxfordshire remembers
Remembrance services
Sunday November 9
Events will be held this Sunday across Oxfordshire to honour those who lost their lives in conflict. Special events will also be held to commemorate the centenary of the outbreak of the First World War.
Events include:
• Oxford
City centre:
- St Giles’ War Memorial, Oxford from 10.45am. The Lord Mayor of Oxford, Mohammed Abbasi, will lead the service which will include city rector the Rev Robert Wilkes and faith leaders from the city.
- Christ Church Cathedral, St Aldate’s, Remembrance Service from 10am.
• Summertown:
- St Michaels and All Angels Church, in Lonsdale Road, will hold a Remembrance service at 10am.
• Headington:
- Act of Remembrance, St Andrew’s Church, in St Andrew’s Road, from 10am.
• Botley:
- Remembrance service from 10.45am at the Commonwealth War Graves section in Botley Cemetery.
• Kidlington:
- A service will be held at St Mary’s Church, in Church Street, at 10am for 40 minutes. There will be two minutes’ silence at 11am, then a parade to High Street.
• Eynsham
- St Leonard’s Church, High Street, Remembrance service will begin at 10.45am.
• Chipping Norton
- Royal British Legion members will form up outside Sainsbury’s in the Market Place at 10.30am to parade to St Mary’s Church, Church Street, for 10.45am. Inside, there will be two minutes silence at 11am, after which groups including Chipping Norton Town Council, the RBL and cadets will lay wreaths.
• Witney
- Town councillors will gather at the war memorial on Church Green from 10.30am. There will be two minutes’ silence and wreath-laying at 11am followed by the annual Remembrance service at St Mary’s Church.
• Carterton
- A Remembrance Service at the Repatriation Memorial Garden, in Monahan Way, at 2pm.
• Wantage
- Wantage Silver Band, war veterans and cadets will assemble at The Beacon civic hall, in Portway, at 10.30am and parade to SS Peter and Paul Church, in Church Street, for 11am.
- Following two minutes’ silence, poppy wreaths will be laid on the war memorial.
• Abingdon
- A Remembrance Service will be held at St Helen’s Church, East St Helen Street, from 10am.
- Town councillors will then walk to the war memorial at 11am for the laying of the wreaths.
• Faringdon
- A service will be held at the church from 9.45am, then mayor David Price and town councillors will march to the war memorial under the old town hall, in Market Place, at 10.45am.
- There will be two minutes’ silence at 11am then wreaths will be laid.
• Dry Sandford
- A service will take place at St Helen’s Church, in Church Lane, from 10.50am.
