Churches across our diocese have paused to remember the service and sacrifices made by our armed forces and to pray for those still affected by conflict around the world. Here’s how some of our churches marked Remembrance this year.
Winchester Cathedral
Hundreds of people gathered inside and outside Winchester Cathedral for the annual service of Remembrance last Sunday. Members of the armed forces joined with residents, representatives from the local council, the local MP, members of the armed forces and local uniformed organisations. The Bishop of Winchester gave the address.
The service was followed by the Act of Remembrance at the war memorial where visitors to the city also stopped to pay their respects.
A two-minute silence was also held on Armistice Day on Tuesday. The Cathedral railings have been decorated with handcrafted poppies made by volunteers from across the area and coordinated by the Winchester women’s branch of the Royal British Legion as a sign of love and remembrance and a reminder of the lives lost in war.
St John’s Church, Boldre
A stunning cascade of poppies hangs from the tower of St John’s in Boldre. It’s the first year volunteers have created the poppy waterfall to honour those who have given their lives in war. It has also served as a project to bring together the community, with more than 50 people involved.
The installation is created of around 7,000 knitted, crocheted and fabric poppies. It’s used a staggering 124 kilometres of yarn enough, the team has worked out, to extend from Brighton to Bournemouth!
The idea originated from Stephanie Glen, who is one of the church’s flower arrangers, after she visited the poppies at the Tower of London. She said, “We should remember our war heroes who have given their life or their health to preserve our way of life.”
The project began in April with people creating the poppies in their own home or meeting in a local café. The Pilley community shop acted as a hub for people to pick up wool and drop off their poppies.
The installation took a team of volunteers 20 days to set up, sewing the poppies onto heavy duty netting on a long table in a local barn. A rope was lowered from the church tower, the netting attached and pulled into place.
Stephanie continued, “It has been such a lovely contemplative thing to do and to see. We started in a small way and more and more people from the community became involved, friends, and friends of friends. It’s been a great privilege and a wonderful way to bring the community together, people from all walks of life, those who are connected to the church and those who are not. It’s been like a spider’s web reaching to all corners of the community.”
St Paul’s Tadley
St Paul’s in Tadley held a Messy Remembrance, which provided an opportunity for all ages to mark Remembrance in a family-friendly way. Messy Church takes place at St Paul’s on the second Sunday of each month, attracting up to 200 people.
Revd Steve McKay said, “This month we joined together to think about those who fought for our freedom with a story, crafts, and some fantastic food. We had a time of silence at 11 am and thought about the men on the War Memorial outside the church. It was wonderful to do this with 150 people ranging from 1 month old to 90 years old, particularly as most returned in the afternoon for our main Tadley service of remembrance. It was a busy day at St. Paul’s, but one where, as a community, young and old, we declared that ‘We will remember them’”.
Anna Benefice
Churches and communities in the Anna Benefice honoured men, women and children who endured the war with an exhibition to remember those who lived and worked in the village at the time. These were held at Goodworth Clatford, Upper Clatford and Abbots Ann.
Revd Nicky Judd and Wendy Terry were curators of the exhibition at Goodworth Clatford. They said, “We displayed details about what happened when a flying bomb hit the centre of the village in July 1944, we had photos and brief biographies of the men on our War Memorial, as well as some of the men and women who served and returned. We also featured memories of the village in wartime by lifelong members of our community.”
At All Saints Church in Upper Clatford, there was a special flower display to reflect the stories of those caught up in war and the impact on the village. Donations were also given to the armed forces charity SSAFA.
Jane Kennedy, curator for the All Saints exhibition, said, “The ‘Floral Tribute to our WWII Heroes’, attracted over 200 people to All Saints’ Church. The challenges of life on the Home Front in Upper Clatford, the experience of those on active service in the war, and the eventual victory, were told through displays featuring memories, family letters, photographs, artefacts, artwork and research from the present local community. Research on those who lost their lives and on those who had served and returned to the village was a key feature. Reminding people today of the sacrifices that were made by our parents and grandparents through WWII is critical and was one of the key reasons for holding the event.”
Silchester Church
There was a bigger crowd than ever at the Act of Remembrance. The service began in St Mary the Virgin with Holy Communion and continued at the war memorial, which is in the heart of the village and dedicated to the six villagers who died in WW1 and a further six who died in WW2.
Revd Karen West, Resident Priest for Silchester, said, “Following the reading of their names, we gave a promise that we will remember them and countless others who gave their lives for the freedom we enjoy today. There was the two minute silence and 15 wreaths were laid by representatives of a wide range of village and community groups, followed by the planting of crosses for those who were remembered individually.
“Silchester is a community of around 1000 people and we must have welcomed around 230 to our Act of Remembrance – the numbers seem to increase year on year which is a real marker of just how important this short service is to us. Whilst few of us have experienced conflict, we must never take for granted the ultimate sacrifice made by so many for the peace and freedom we enjoy today.”
Benefice of Darby Green and Eversley
Pupils from local primary schools played an important role in the services at St Mary’s Church in Eversley and St Barnabas in Darby Green. The benefice also joined a large Remembrance parade through neighbouring Yateley last Sunday afternoon. At Eversley and Yateley, children planted small wooden crosses – one for each soldier from the town or village who did not return from war.
Revd Faith Bailey said, “Most people see the children’s backs as they walk towards the memorial, but I am privileged to see their faces. Each year I am deeply moved, and I pray that the same sacrifice will never be asked of the children I see before me, as it was of generations past.
“Peace is something to cherish, to work towards, and to pray for. The prophet Isaiah talks of a time when: ‘Nations will beat their swords into ploughshares and their spears into pruning hooks. Nation will not take up sword against nation, nor will they train for war anymore. That really is something to pray for.”
All Saints, St Leonard’s and St Ives Church, Ringwood Benefice
All Saints, St Leonard’s and St Ives hosted the local community and uniformed groups to the annual Remembrance service. Members of the local Royal British Legion laid wreaths and members of the parish who had lost their lives in the two world wars were read out.
Sue Wallace, a resident at St Ives House care home, stepped up when the regular bugler was unavailable. She played the Last Post and the Reveille during the service. Sue was formerly a church organist and still cherishes music in her retirement.
During the service a special table was provided for children and young people to make their own poppies. Later a procession of adults and children made their way through the parish to the Ex Services Club for a short service of Remembrance.
Dibden Churches
St Andrew’s in Dibden Purlieu was full for Sunday’s Remembrance services, with commemorations also being held at All Saint’s Church Dibden, including members of the uniformed organisations and Royal British Legion. A poppy craft wreath was made by children and youth at St Andrew’s.
Services were also held at Hythe Memorial Hospital, and the Carpathia Grange Care Home held a triple celebration – Remembrance, a 102nd birthday and the unveiling of a veterans’ plaque.
Revd Peter Toller said, “Remembrance is still very important to our community and we honour that and those who made the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom. We hold concurrent services at our two churches and both were full again this year with many visitors and newcomers as well as uniformed organisations and parish councillors. Observing the 11am silence, laying poppy wreaths and reading the names on the war memorials are all key parts of our acts of remembrance. We also speak a message of hope from scripture, that death is not the end and that Jesus, the Prince of Peace, will one day bring an end to all our human suffering.”
St John’s, Hedge End
800 poppies made a poignant display at St John’s in Hedge End. The church craft group started the creations and soon other people began to join in, by knitting, crocheting, sticking felt and painting card.
Revd Phil Aindow, Vicar of St John’s Hedge End, said, “The poppies just kept coming! It has become an outward symbol of the cost of peace and the price of war as we await the eternal peace of the Kingdom of God. It’s had a great response from the community of Hedge End. Lots of people have stopped to admire it and take a photo. It’s really wonderful when an idea picks up momentum and becomes a reality and it formed a great backdrop on Remembrance Sunday as the community came out to remember.”
