How Remembrance Sunday will be marked where you live...

HERE are some of the plans in place across South Wales to mark Remembrance Sunday and Remembrance Day:

Bridgend

There will not be a Remembrance parade and service at the Bridgend War Memorial.

But Bridgend Town Council will fly military flags at the memorial on the weekend and the mayor of the town council, Alan Wathan, will lay a wreath on behalf of local residents.

He said: “The town council is committed to honouring the Armed Forces and remembering those that sacrificed their lives to serve their country but unfortunately due to the Covid-19 pandemic, it is not safe to hold a large public gathering this year.”

The gates of the war memorial will be open from 9am to 4pm for organisations and the public to lay wreaths.

The council is advising people to follow social distancing and avoid laying wreaths at the memorial between 10.45am and 11.15am to prevent large crowds gathering there.

Cardiff

Arrangements have been made this year which will allow members of the public to participate in the National Service of Remembrance for Wales, safely in their own homes.

For the first time, the service will be available to watch live on the Cardiff Council YouTube channel.

Coverage will start from 10.50am on Sunday, November 8.

Broadcast from the National War Memorial in Cardiff, the coverage will capture a small, socially distanced service, conducted by Reverend Canon Stewart Lisk.

In all, 15 wreath layers will take part in Wales’ national observance of Remembrance Sunday, which is jointly hosted by Cardiff Council and the Welsh Government, in partnership with The Royal British Legion.

They include, HM Lord Lieutenant for South Glamorgan, Morfudd Meredith, on behalf of Her Majesty The Queen, Wales First Minister Mark Drakeford MS, Leader of Cardiff Council councillor Huw Thomas and mayor Dan De’Ath.

A bugler from 3rd Battalion The Royal Welsh will sound the ‘Last Post’ followed by a two minutes silence being observed at 11am.

Mr De’Ath said: “The National Service of Remembrance for Wales, held each year at the National War Memorial in Cardiff, is an important opportunity for us all to reflect, and pay our respects to the servicemen and servicewomen that have served, fought and died for our country.

“Normally Alexandra Gardens is full of people wishing to participate in the service, and while they will not be able to be with us in person this year, I am sure that they will still feel a part of Remembrance Sunday, as they watch the coverage from the safety of their own homes.”

Merthyr Tydfil

There will be no parades and no gatherings at war memorials.

Instead, mayor Howard Barrett, Merthyr Tydfil County Borough Council leader Kevin O’Neill, cabinet and ward Members will be laying a wreath where there is a war memorial within their ward, on behalf of the authority.

Those wards are Aberfan, Pant, Dowlais, Thomastown Park, Bedlinog, Cefn Coed, the Town Centre, Treharris, Trelewis and Troedyrhiw.

Any locked war memorials will be open from November 6 to 11 for people to lay their personal wreaths.

Mr O’Neill said: “Even though the event can go ahead, we encourage you to think whether it is truly necessary and sensible to attend.

“The purpose of this short lockdown is to create a concerted national effort to do everything we can to stop the spread of Covid-19 - and every individual’s contribution to that counts.

“As always, we wish to mark the occasion of Remembrance Sunday and to acknowledge those that lost their lives and remember the sacrifices made for us during the wars. Please stay home, keep yourselves safe.”

Vale of Glamorgan

The mayor of the Vale of Glamorgan will be holding only a small inviteonly remembrance service at the Merchant Navy Memorial at the Civic Offices in Barry at 11am on Wednesday, November 11.

It will not be possible for the council to gather with organisations, groups or members of the public this year.

However, the wreath-laying service will be streamed live on the council website and Facebook page for anyone that wants to observe it.

Residents wanting to pay personal respects are asked to do so after 11.30am on an individual basis in line with Welsh Government restrictions.

To further mark the occasion, the Western Shelter and Hood Road tunnel in Barry are being lit up in red, the colour of poppies.