REMEMBRANCE Sunday commemorations will be held across Evesham and Pershore this weekend as town residents fall silent to remember those who gave their lives in conflicts around the world.
Members of Evesham Town Council, together with representatives of various local groups, will be attending the Remembrance Day Parade and Service in the town.
At 10.15am uniformed organisations and ex-service personnel will assemble in the Market Square.
Representatives of organisations who are laying wreaths at the War Memorial are also asked to join the Market Square section of the parade to the War Memorial as a wreath-laying party.
At 10.50am the uniformed organisations and ex-service personnel will make their way from the Market Square down Bridge Street and to the War Memorial via the Crown Courtyard and Abbey Park. The parade will be led by the Avonbank Band and the ex-service standard bearers.
The town will then fall silent at 11am to remember those who lost their lives and wreaths will then be placed at the foot of the War Memorial.
Following the two-minute silence, the band will lead the ex-service standard bearers, civic dignitaries and uniformed organisations to All Saints’ Church for a Service of Remembrance.
Pershore Mayor Coun Chris Parsons and Wychavon District Council chairman Coun Tony Rowley were among the civic leaders, veterans and guests at the Pershore Schools Centenary Armistice Service at Pershore Abbey.
This year brought the largest attendance yet with more than 400 pupils from the five Pershore schools taking part. Led by the Rev Claire Lording, the children talked about the First World War and the pupils of Abbey Park Middle School reminded everyone how they began their activities in 2014 to commemorate the centenary of the start of the conflict.
The congregation heard from local resident Charles Hudson whose family lost three men during the war, with Aubrey Hudson being the town’s first casualty in September 1914.
Charles’ great-great-grandfather Colonel AH Hudson of Wick House had been a leading figure in the town throughout the war and chaired the memorial fund committee, commissioning the famous sculptor Alfred Drury to craft the war memorial in the Abbey to commemorate those who died.
The children also learned of the Second World War, the Poppy Appeal, the formation of the Royal British Legion and Remembrance.
Pupils from Pershore High School read out the town’s roll of honour followed by the chairman of the Royal British Legion reading the exhortation and Kohima Epitaph.
Pershore High School pupil Alastair Cornock played the Last Post and Reveille and a minute’s silence was held.
The school wreaths were laid at the Commemorative Stone.
