Kentish Gazette Canterbury & District
Covid can’t stopop salute to fallen
Veterans were determined not to be held hostage to the coronavirus lockdown as they marked Remembrance Sunday.
So while the usual commemorations had to be drastically cut back, services still went ahead across the district. For first time in living memory there was no traditional parade of old soldiers and servicemen and women through the city, or a wreath-laying at the Buttermarket memorial, where large crowds typically gather.
Instead, they were replaced with a smaller service in the Cathedral Precincts, with 60 invited attendees, organised by the Canterbury branch of the Royal British Legion together with the city council’s civic office.
About 30 wreaths were laid at the Kent Memorial in the walled garden in a service led by the Dean, the Very Rev Robert Willis.
Among those attending were the Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Lady Colgrain, Canterbury and Whitstable MP Rosie Duffield, Lord Mayor Cllr Pat Todd and representatives from the armed services.
The president of the Canterbury branch of the Royal British Legion, former Wren Jan Edis, said: “In the circumstances it was a lovely service. But we did miss the parade and the public terribly this year, as well as the gathering around the Buttermarket memorial, which was just not possible due to social distancing.”
Both Mrs Edis and honorary president Gerry Ferrett further laid wreaths on Armistice Day yesterday ( W e d n e s d a y) at th e Buttermarket Memorial and also in Canterbury cemetery.
With no church services or parades allowed, other small outdoor gatherings and wreath layings took place in Herne Bay, Whitstable and Faversham, as well as village memorials across the district. Faversham Royal British Legion chairman John Quested says he was surprised by the turnout at the town’s war memorial, where up to 200 people gathered to witness the wreath-laying.
Mr Quested said: “Normally, we would have had many more, but it was still bigger than I expected, although people wore their masks and kept apart. They just wanted to remember those who had sacrificed so much.” There was no parade or church service in Wingham, but a short outdoor ceremony was conducted at the village war memorial by the Archdeacon of Canterbury, the Venerable Jo Kelley-moore.
It was attended by a handful of village representatives and live-streamed on Facebook. The organiser of the Herne Bay ceremony, Alan Jordan, had to dispense with the usual church service and traditional parade through the centre of town. He says a small event at the town’s memorial park was a success.
“The war memorial was cordoned off to ensure social distancing.
“We had about
50 people around the memorial and there was approximately 150 who gathered outside the area, despite the announcements put out that they should stay away.”