A century may have passed but we still remember the fallen

It has been no different in Blackpool with thousands attending Remembrance Day events and to honour those who made the ultimate sacrifice for their country.

Following on from yesterday’s 8-page special in The Gazette, we have included some more of the weekend’s events from across the Fylde Coast.

St Annes came together to honour the war dead 100 years after the end of Great War,

The ceremony was held at Ashton Gardens and conducted by Father David Lyon on Sunday.

In attendance were local school children and members of the armed forces who laid poppies around the town’s war memorial.

The civic party was led by Fylde’s Mayor, Coun Peter Collins.

Blackpool Victoria Hospital marked the centenary with a special ceremony.

Hospital chaplain, Clive Lord, lead the service which included the Layton Primary School choir and 14-year-old bugler Ben Parkinson performing the Last Post.

Special guests included 95 year-old D-Day veteran, Leonard Curran and some of the knitters and crocheters who donated 28,000 poppies for the Remembrance displays.

The service was held in front of a 15 foot scale model of the Menin Gate and the ‘Cloak of Poppies’, which features 20,000 of the handmade poppies as well as original First World War artefacts.

Nigel Fort, from Blackpool’s NHS Trust, said: “We have been overwhelmed with the support that the community has given to this project.

“We are delighted that our unveiling event, held two weeks ago, and our Remembrance events have been so well attended.

Ben, who is from Preston and attends Lancaster Royal Grammar, said: “I have been playing in my local church since I was nine-years-old.

“I feel privileged to be playing today – not many people would get this opportunity.”

The choir from Layton Primary School sang and also signed, Fields of Gold.

A war memorial in Marton was rededicated on Sunday following a renovation project by residents to commemorate the centenary.

The memorial outside St Paul’s church has had new names added to it during the renovation process.

An under nine boys football club attended the Cenotaph ceremony in Blackpool as a team to honour the fallen as well as one of their own heroes.

The Foxhall Under 9’s team attended the Sunday service with their coaches, James Ross and Paul Foxton, to honour Bob Wareham, a former serviceman and the grandfather of one of the players. Mr Wareham attends training and matches to support the boys and the young players wanted to do the same for him.

James and Paul said: “We are so very proud of our boys.”

There was a large turn-out Fleetwood’s Remembrance Day parade and service.

The parade to the Memorial Park was led by Fleetwood Old Boys Band and included serving members, standard-bearing veterans groups, cadets and youth organisations.

Before and after the two minute silence at 11am, the Last Post and Reveiille were performed by Roy Bond and John Scott of the Old Boys Band.

In front of the memorial, the poignant service was led by Father Liam Burns, with the salute taken by Lt Col Richard Beatson and Major (Rtd) Alex Middleton MBE.

To the haunting tune of Elgar’s Nimrod, from the Enigma Variations, wreaths were laid at the memorial by the Mayor of Wyre, Coun Marge Anderton, and many organisations from the town.