Boroughs join nation in marking Remembrance
By Connor Steel
LOCAL RESIDENTS have participated in a nationwide two-minutes silence paying tributes to the area’s war dead on Remembrance Sunday; with crowds attending services in Gosport, Lee-on-the-Solent, Stubbington and Fareham yesterday morning (November 13) to remember all those who have died defending freedoms.
In Gosport an armed guard formed down Ann’s Hill Road before making the short journey to the nearby War Memorial Hospital, which featured personnel from HMS Sultan. Joining them were staff from the local Royal British Legion branch, Borough Councillors, Veteran’s charities, Scouts, Guides, Sea Cadets and Air Cadets.
Stubbington and Lee-on-the-Solent further had their own parade events before gathering around nearby war memorials; where the two minutes of silence from 11am were followed by trumpet renditions of the Last Post and Reveille. Church services were also held throughout the morning to allow the community to pay tributes.
Hundreds of Fareham residents also joined together with a parade setting off from Western Road, arriving at the war memorial outside Holy Trinity Church in West Street. Many personnel from HMS Collingwood were in attendance alongside Cadets, Scouts Councillors and Veterans; the earlier 9:45am church service also held.
All events saw huge turnouts in dry conditions with one Globe reader saying: “Family members and I went to the Remembrance event in Stubbington and it was great to see so many people come together for the same reason. The silence was brilliantly respectful and the music was outstanding – our thanks to those involved”.
Football across the area also paid tribute with varying ceremonies held at Gosport Borough, Fareham Town and AFC Portchester before their home matches on Saturday afternoon; whilst all youth and Sunday league sides held their own acts of Remembrance with some matches starting slightly late to join the 11am silence.
Meanwhile King Charles III led the country in the annual Remembrance Sunday ceremony attended by most Commonwealth representatives. Veterans, members of the Royal Family and politicians including six former Prime Ministers; with wreaths laid at the Cenotaph in Central London after the national two minutes’ silence.
The Fareham MP and Home Secretary Suella Braverman joined a current cabinet colleague James Cleverly (Foreign Secretary) in laying one of these wreaths on behalf of the combined 2 departments and intelligence. The exact moment in the ceremony can be seen in this video footage shot by Sky News at precisely 1:11:25.
Portsmouth News has also published a gallery of photographs taken from the local area, which can be seen by clicking this link here with multiple image credits. Readers are also encouraged to visit media sites such as BBC News, Sky News and ITV News for the reaction to yesterday’s large-scale event held in the capital.
PICTURED BY ALAMY (2KEKAM2): Suella Braverman stands between Culture Secretary Michelle Donelan and Foreign Secretary James Cleverly during the Remembrance Sunday service at the Cenotaph in London.
