Remembrance Sunday on November 8 will be very different to previous years due to the coronavirus. Although government has now said outdoor services can go ahead despite the lockdown, social distancing has led to many parades being cancelled.
In Margate, there will be no parade, hymns or readings and the public is being asked, sadly, not to attend Trinity Gardens at 11am. The maroons for the start and end of the Great Silence will go ahead to enable the observation of the two minute silence. The event will be very low-key and will focus on wreath laying and attendees will be by invitation only.
Birchington virtual service
In Birchington there will be a two minute silence at the war memorial, Last Post, church bells and a laying of wreaths with a marshall coordinating people through front and back gates to comply with covid safety. The service is at All Saints Church and the public can attend by spreading out in the church yard. There will not be a parade.
However, to ensure residents of Birchington can still recognise Remembrance Sunday as a community, the service is going virtual.
Broadstairs
The Mayor and Mayoress have plans to visit the War Memorial to lay a wreath and to pay their respects, but they will not be giving a speech.
Ramsgate
In Ramsgate town mayor Cllr Raushan Ara will lay a wreath on behalf of the people of Ramsgate at the various town war memorials.
A virtual “Book of Remembrance” will be made available for the residents of Ramsgate to leave messages in memory of those who lost their lives in World War One and Two and in subsequent conflicts.
Westgate
In Westgate the two churches will each have a small service but there will not be a parade.
Remembrance displays have been installed in Thanet, including crocheted poppies at the Destiny memorial in Ramsgate and panels installed at St George’s Church by the Crafty Poppies crew, and installations in Westgate, Birchington, window posters in Minster and from Cliffsend resident Beryl Harrison outside her home in Beech Grove.
Oh, that is a shame! I would have thought that if the Service was, as always outside, there should be no danger to the Public, if the 2 metre rule was held.
I will be there, as per usual!
Yes,Robster, and how do you do that when over 1000 individuals can turn up in a space that can barely accommodate a tenth of that number.
Think carefully, how many of the usual participants will be in the higher risk categories?
If you attend as always, then you will know that there is normally a church service inside.
Hopefully, if we all take care,and there is a vaccine, a remembrance service similar to those of the past, will take place next year.You just have to be patient and wait for things to improve.
As the Secretary of the Independent Vindicatrix of East Kent Association – Merchant Navy I will be laying our wreath at the Broadstairs War Memorial at Pierremont Hall on Remembrance Day. WE WILL REMEMBER THEM.