Fenland towns and villages prepare for Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day

Towns and villages across Fenland are gearing up for the annual Remembrance Day commemorations this weekend (11 and 12) and here is a round-up of some of those taking place.

Remembrance events are still going ahead in March this year despite the ongoing town centre regeneration works.

The Armistice Day Parade on Saturday will take place at St Peter’s Church in the High Street, using the original WW1 War Memorial, rather than at the War Memorial in the town centre.

The Remembrance Sunday Parade on Sunday will also start at St Peter’s Church and march to West End Park where a Drumhead Service will be held.

Parade Marshal, Lieutenant Colonel Nigel Spencer, said: “As long as we remember our fallen it doesn’t matter where we hold our Act of Remembrance.

“On behalf of the serving, veterans and fallen, I ask everyone to attend and embrace the Remembrance events we have planned and next year we will be back at the War Memorial in the town centre.”

Armistice Day Parade – Saturday Armed Forces organisation’s standard bearers, escorts, veterans and civil dignitaries will muster at 10.50am, to the side of St Peter’s Church, to form the Armistice Parade.

They will then march up the road, to the front of the church, where Reverend Andrew Smith will start the service by delivering a prayer.

The Last Post will be played by Nigel Sutherby and Peter Mitchell, president of the March Branch of the Royal British Legion, will deliver the Exhortation before a two-minute silence is held.

All spectators wishing to pay their respects are welcome to attend.

Remembrance Sunday Parade – All organisations are invited to participate in the event, which begins at 9.30am with a muster at St Peter’s Church.

A Service of Remembrance will be held at the church at 9.45am, before the parade begins marching from the church to West End Park at 10.45am.

At 10.55am, a Drumhead Service will take place near the Bandstand. A two-minute silence will be held at 11am, followed by a wreath-laying ceremony.

Wisbech will be holding a Remembrance Sunday event in the town as usual with dozens of organisations and individuals expected to lay wreaths.

The representatives of the Armed Forces, the cadet groups etc will form up at the Market Place and then parade, followed by the Civic Party, to the War Memorial at 10.45 am. The service at the War Memorial will commence at 10.50am. A two minutes’ silence will be observed at 11am, which will be followed by the laying of wreaths.

Following the service and wreath-laying at the war memorial, a church service will take place in the Church of St Peter and St Paul.

Chatteris will have an Armistice Day ceremony at the War Memorial in front of the parish church at 11am on Saturday, this will include wreath laying at the RAF Memorial.

On Sunday the Remembrance Day parade and wreath laying will begin with the parade mustering at Furrofields car park for 2.15pm

The parade will march to the war memorial at 2.35pm and there will be wreath laying at 2.45pm.

A service of Remembrance will follow at 3pm.

Any and all members of the community are welcome to join the parade, lay a wreath or attend the church service. Please remember the roads along the parade route, including side roads (Furrowfields to Church) will also be closed for a short period of time between approximately 2pm and 3.30pm.

Manea will have a service of Remembrance on Sunday at St Nicolas Church from 2.45pm. The wreath laying will follow at the war memorial outside the church. There will also be a two-minute silence.

The Royal British Legion Club will be open following the service and all are welcome.

On Sunday there will be an Act of Remembrance at the village war memorial from 11am with wreath laying. The gathering will then head back to the Royal British Legion Club where there will be live music by Gerry Ryan from 2pm, a tombola, a cake stall, teas, and coffees.

All money raised will go to the Royal British Legion and the Poppy Appeal.

Wimblington will see the wreath laying on Sunday at St Peter’s Church from 10.45am.

Murrow and Parson Drove will have a service at 9am at Emannuel Church, Parson Drove from 9am. This will be followed by wreath laying at Parson Drove War Memorial at 10am and Murrow’s memorial at 10.30am,