Thousands of people across Wiltshire will gather this morning and on Sunday to remember the millions of servicemen and women who gave their life for their country in two world wars and other military conflicts.
The acts of remembrance will be led by local Royal British Legion branches across the county, working in partnership with local churches and town and parish councils.
Local communities will unite to remember the service and sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from the United Kingdom and the Commonwealth overseas, as well as those of the emergency services and ordinary civilians who lost their lives.
Today, they will commemorate Armistice Day, the agreement to end the fighting of the First World War which began at 11am on 11 November 1918.
This year people will be asked to pause, breathe and reflect on the service and sacrifices the Armed Forces make on our behalf.
On Remembrance Sunday (November 13), services will take place at local churches and war memorials to remember those who died.
The National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph in London is held on Remembrance Sunday, the closest day to November 11.
The service is attended by senior members of the Royal Family, including His Majesty King Charles 111, HM Government and features a March Past involving 10,000 veterans.
This local list of services does not include all the events taking place in north and west Wiltshire:
Bradford on Avon: services begin at 8am at Holy Trinity Church with a Eucharist (Traditional language) and the Town Remembrance Service at 10.15am. The laying of wreaths will follow the 10.15am service. At 10.45am the congregation will walk in silence to the War Memorial in Westbury Garden while bells are rung half-muffled. Traffic will be stopped between 10.58am and 11.03am so the two minutes silence can be observed by those in attendance. Bradford on Avon Town Mayor, Cllr Katie Vigar will lay the remembrance wreath on behalf of the town council, followed by representatives of organisations across the town.
Calne: town council officers will observe the two-minute silence outside of Bank House on Friday 11 November at 11am. On Sunday, November 13 there will be a Service of Remembrance at St Mary’s Church at 10am – 10.45am. The Remembrance Parade will set off from the High Street at 9.50am and march to the church. The parade will be joined by the Town Mayor, Cllr Trotman, Lord Lieutenant of Wiltshire, Calne Town Councillors and Cllr Ashley O’Neill – Wiltshire Council. Following the service, the two-minute silence will be observed at 11am followed by a wreath laying ceremony. The parade will then march back to Calne Town Hall. Please note that there will be road closures in place for the duration of the parade. This is all sign-posted and a diversion for Church Street will be in place. Please do feel free to come and watch the parade and pay your respects this Remembrance Sunday.
Chippenham: a church service at St. Andrew’s Church and a two-minute silence at the War Memorial in the Market Place on Remembrance Sunday. In addition to Remembrance Day on 11 November each year, the town hosts an act of remembrance on the front steps of the Town Hall.
Corsham: Corsham will join the rest of the nation in remembering those lost in war on Armistice Day, on Friday, November 11, and Remembrance Sunday, November 13. On Friday, the Royal British Legion will lead a two-minute silence at 11am in the Martingate Centre shopping precinct. Then, on Sunday, the town will come together for the annual ceremony at the War Memorial. The timings are:
10am – Service at St Bartholomew’s
10.30am – Parade forms up in Church Street
10.35am – Parade moves off, marching along the High Street and then on to the War Memorial
10.50am – Remembrance Service at the War Memorial
11am – Two Minute Silence
11.02am – Service, including wreath-laying, continues
11.20am – Parade forms up, marches to Royal British Legion
From approximately 10.15-11.45am, during the parade and ceremony at the War Memorial, there will be temporary closures in place on various roads within the vicinity. Please seek alternative routes
Devizes: on Remembrance Sunday there will be a parade from the Marketplace to St John’s Church in Long Street for the service. The parade will reform in Long Street and around the war memorial for the Last Post and a two-minute silence at 11am. Wreaths will be laid by the representative of the King, Royal British Legion, and local councils. The parade will return to the Marketplace to give the salute to the King’s Representative, Mayor and Chairman of The Royal British Legion.
Malmesbury: on Friday a service will be held at Malmesbury Abbey. Gather outside at 10.50am for the Act of Remembrance at 11am. On Sunday, gather at 10am at Park Gates for the Remembrance Sunday service and Holy Communion at 10.30am. At 2pm, the Royal British Legion will lead a Civic Remembrance Service at Malmesbury Abbey. At 4pm, there will be an Act of Remembrance in the Café Church.
Marlborough: on Armistice Day, Friday, November 11, a short ceremony will take place on the steps of the Town Hall at 11am. On Remembrance Sunday, November 13, Marlborough's Remembrance Parade will form up in the High Street from 10am and then march to the War Memorial in New Road for the 11am observances. There will short road closures affecting through routes and the town centre. While the official closure allows from 10am to 11.30am officials will try to keep it as brief as possible. All affected roads will be closed by 10.30am and remain closed until the parade has fallen out and members of the public have cleared the highway.
Melksham: the annual Service of Remembrance will be held at the War Memorial on Sunday, November 13 at 11am with a Church Service after at the Parish Church of St Michael And All Angels, Canon Square, Melksham. The Parade of Service Men and Women will leave King Street Car Park at approximately 10.45am. All ex-service men and women and serving members of HM Forces are welcome to take part. Please report to the Parade Commander at 10.30am at King Street Car Park.
Royal Wootton Bassett: a Remembrance Service will take place on Armistice Day at 10.45 at the war memorial in the High Street. On Remembrance Sunday another service will take place at 2.15pm at the War Memorial. The annual remembrance parade will start from the Iceland car park, along the High Street to the war memorial where a service and wreath laying will take place at 2.30pm. On Sunday, temporary road closures will take place between Coxstalls roundabout to the Crossroads Junction of the A3102, New Road and Whitehall Way.
Swindon: a Remembrance Day service and parade will take place in Swindon's town centre on Sunday from 10.30am at the cenotaph in Regent Circus. The procession should begin at 10.50am, with the two-minute silence taking place at 11am. Following this, there will be a wreath laying ceremony, and Remembrance Service. There is also a daily two-minute silence at the Swindon Field of Remembrance at 2pm while the field is open. Opening times are 10.00am to 3.30pm. The Field of Remembrance pays tribute to all the servicemen and women who have served, including those who lost their lives in Iraq and Afghanistan. The field closes at 2.30pm on Sunday 27th November.
Trowbridge: the annual Remembrance Service will be held at St James’ Church with the traditional wreath laying ceremony at the war memorial on Sunday November 13. A parade will start at 9.15am outside the Town Hall on Market Street. It moves to St James’ Church and then to the war memorial where a salute will be taken en route. At around 10.53 it arrives at the war memorial in Trowbridge Town Park where town councillors and other representatives will take up their positions. At 10.58am the Remembrance Service begins, and there will be a two minute-silence at 11am.
Warminster: the parade for Remembrance Sunday will assemble in Station Road from 2.30pm and will march off at 2.45pm. The Remembrance Service will begin at 3pm at the war memorial in Portway. It lasts around 45 minutes. The Remembrance Day Service will be broadcast on Warminster Community Radio Warminster 105.5 FM. Service sheets can be downloaded from the town council website. Singing will be led by the Warminster Military Wives Choir and Warminster Community Choir. There will be some town centre road closures for all traffic except the emergency services. The parade route from the station through the town centre will be closed from 2pm to 3.30pm. The area around the war memorial will be closed between 2pm and 4:30pm.
Westbury: the annual ceremony starts at 10:55am. The Royal British Legion, uniformed organisations and youth groups will parade through the High Street and lay their wreaths at the war memorial at the end of the service. The Trowbridge & District Youth Band will play for the third year running and bugler David Harle will play the Reveille and the Last Post. Sgt Davies from the AOSB will again be the parade marshal, while Reverend Rebecca Harris, Rector at All Saints’ Church, will lead the service.
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