Fylde Coast pays tribute to the fallen

Among events held yesterday were a service at Blackpool war memorial and the igniting of maroons at three locations in Fylde – by Coun Akeroyd in Ashton Gardens, St Annes, Coun Jacques at Charlie’s Mast, Lytham, and Kirkham town mayor Coun Keith Beckett at the town’s William Sagar Playing Fields.

It comes ahead of Remembrance Day services to be held across the Fylde coast tomorrow in honour of the members of the armed forces who lost their lives in conflict.

BLACKPOOL

In Blackpool, deputy mayor Coun Gary Coleman, deputy mayoress Coun Debbie Coleman and mayoress Joan Goldin will be in attendance at the war memorial by North Pier for a service which begins at 10.55am, following a civic procession from the town hall and music by the Salvation Army and The Band of the King’s Division.

Two minutes’ silence at 11am will be followed by wreath laying by the civic party, dignitaries and parading contingents before a parade led by the Band of the King’s Division.

FYLDE

Fylde mayor Coun Christine Akeroyd and mayoress Helen Akeroyd will attend services at St Annes, starting at 11am and Kirkham from 2pm.

Deputy mayor Coun Angela Jacques and deputy mayoress Sarah Jacques will be at the Lytham service at 11am, while services will also take place at Wesham (10.50am) and Staining (12.45pm).

All the services will be preceded by the traditional civic party parades to the memorials, including Fylde MP Mark Menzies, councillors and ex-servicemen and woman along with representatives of a wide range of organisations such as the police, fire service, Royal British Legion, Royal Air Force Association, Army Cadets, Royal National Lifeboat Institution, Sea Cadet Corps, Air Training Corps and Scouts and Guides.

The St Annes parade will assemble at the pier car park, North Promenade, St Annes at 10.30am and proceed along St Annes Road West and Clifton Drive North to arrive at the memorial shortly before 10.40am, returning via Garden Street and St Annes Road West.

In Lytham, the procession will stat at the Assembly Rooms at 10.45am to the Market Square war memorial via Dicconson Terrace, Henry Street and Queen Street. The civic party will be led by Coun Angela Jacques, Fylde deputy mayor.

Kirkham’s procession leaves Orders Lane at 1.45pm and following the service the procession will return to the Community Centre at approximately 2.45pm.

At Wesham, assembly at the war memorial at 10.30am will precede a parade around town prior to the service at the war memorial. 
Light refreshments will be served at the Community Centre after the service.

In Staining, the service at the war memorial in Jubilee Gardens will follow a service in St Luke’s Church starting at 11.30am and a procession leaving the church at 12.30pm.

The Association of Jewish Ex-Servicemen has long been a participant in the Remembrance Day Parade and to express solidarity with the wider community, Rabbi Ephraim Guttentag and the executive of St Annes Synagogue have invited the mayor, civic leaders of Fylde Council and residents of the borough to visit the Synagogue at 12.15pm on Sunday, for refreshments.

That event follows the usual refreshments at St Annes Town Hall directly after the service.

WYRE

The Fleetwood Remembrance Sunday parade will leave the King’s Own Old Comrades Club on Adelaide Street at 10.10am and march down Lord Street before an assembly at Warrenhurst Road at 10.40am.

From there the uniformed groups will march down Warrenhurst Road and into the Memorial Park where the service will begin at 11am.

Coun Emma Anderton will attend the service and lay the wreath on behalf of Wyre Council.

Elsewhere in Wyre, Poulton’s Remembrance Sunday service starts at the war memorial at the Old Town Hall at 10.45am followed by a service at St Chad’s Church.

And in Thornton, the ceremony takes place at the war memorial at Four Lane Ends at 10.30am.