Remembrance Sunday
This morning I attended the Prestwich Remembrance Sunday service at Prestwich Congregational Church, and the subsequent parade.
The service, led by Father Croft of St Hilda’s Church, saw a packed church hear his excellent-as-usual sermon reflecting on the horror of war and the goodness of peace. I have rarely heard a minister of any religious persuasion hold an audience as varied in age as that one as well as he does year after year.
The parade marched from the Royal British Legion at Heaton Park down to the war memorial outside PADOS House near to St Mary’s Park. We were kept in time (and, later, entertained) by the Besses O’ Th’ Barn Brass Band, who were marvellous. It was great to see such a large parade, with representatives from the Police, Fire Service, military cadets, Prestwich Lions, the Legion, and the Scouts and Guides of various ages, amongst others. Cllr Vic D’Albert was the Mayor’s representative leading the parade, and as well as several other local Councillors we were joined by Ivan Lewis MP and by the Conservatives’ Michelle Wiseman (parliamentary candidate for Bury South).
I was again given the honour of laying a wreath on behalf of the people of St Mary’s ward, and it was my privilege to do so. As always I found the occasion deeply moving, and consider it amongst the most important things I do as a Councillor in the year.
My thanks to the Legion for organising the occasion, to the Police for marshalling it, and most of all to the hundreds of local people who assembled at the war memorial for the wreath-laying and the two minutes silence at 11am. The turnout was the best I’ve ever seen, and was a credit to Prestwich.
It is heartening to know that so many people come to pay their respects to the fallen, and to think of those whose sacrifices have gone before and continue right now protecting this country and our way of life.
We remember.
Rick
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