Originally instituted to remember those lost in the First World War, Remembrance Sunday is held every year on the second Sunday in November, the closest Sunday to Armistice Day on 11 November. Today, the service commemorates the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian men and women of two world wars and all the conflicts since 1945.
Remembrance Sunday falls on 10 November this year and it will be marked by events across South Leeds.
The service at Holbeck Cemetery (Beeston Road) will again feature over 4,000 knitted and crocheted poppies made by a team of volunteers. Crocheted poppies will also be displayed outside Sunny View House care home on Beeston Road and at the bus turning circle on Town Street (pictured).
The service will be led by Rev Alistair Kaye from St Luke’s Church, but the people of all faiths and none are welcome to attend the event, which stars at 10:30am.
Acts of Remembrance will also be held at St John & St Barnabas Church in Belle Isle at 10:55am; Hunslet St Mary’s Spire at 12:30pm; Hunslet Cemetery War Memorial at 1pm; and at the Stourton War Memorial at 1:30pm.
Also in Belle Isle, the Lofthouse Brass Band are performing a Remembrance concert at Belle Isle Working Men’s Club on Sunday from 10:30-11:30am, including observation of the two minute silence at 11am.
The city centre act of remembrance will be held at Victoria Gardens. At 10:50am, a procession of dignitaries will leave Leeds Civic Hall, before falling in behind a parade of ex-servicemen and women, veterans’ organisations, and current serving military personnel, who will lead the march to the war memorial for a multi faith service and join the national two minute silence at 11am.
To mark Armistice Day on Monday 11 November, there will be a short service with no parade from 10:50 at Leeds’s Victoria Gardens War Memorial, with wreaths laid by the Lord Mayor and Lord-Lieutenant.
Also on Monday, residents at St Peter’s Court on Dewsbury Road in Beeston will be holding a service by the cenotaph and will be placing poppies and a wreath.
First Bus have announced that serving forces personnel, cadets and veterans can travel free to Remembrance events on Sunday 10 November. Just show the driver your armed forces ID, or wear your medals or uniform.
A spokesperson for the bus operator said:
“We hope free travel on our services will make it as easy as possible for as many veterans, Armed Forces personnel and cadets to attend Remembrance services and events in the region.
“Our drivers may also pull over where safe to do so to honour both the two-minute silence at 11am on Remembrance Day and on Remembrance Sunday so we thank our customers for their patience in advance.”
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