Church communities around the diocese have been marking Remembrance Sunday, gathering people together for services, creating visual displays, and remembering those who have given then lives, while praying for peace in our current day.
St Thomas, Fair Oak
Around 600 people gathered in Fair Oak Square from every generation and many local organisations including the armed forces, local government, churches, charities, uniformed groups, community organisations and sporting clubs. Many joined a parade from the church and wreaths laid by the school, police and scouts
The event was organised by Fair Oak and Horton Heath Parish Council in partnership with St Thomas’ Church.
Revd Jono Harvey said, “For me the most poignant moment was when a veteran stood to read the Kohima Epitaph;
When you go home
Tell them of us and say
For your tomorrow
We gave our today
As he read these simple words it brought into stark reality the cost he paid many years ago that we often take so lightly today”.
All Saints, Barton Stacey
The poppy bell is a focal point of All Saints in Barton Stacey. It features 16 large poppies which represent the 16 men from this village who died in World War 1. The 100 small poppies were created in 2018 to mark the centenary of the Armistice. Their names also feature on the War Memorial, a carved wooden screen inside the church.
Among those attending Sunday’s Remembrance service were military personnel past and present. Barton Stacey has had a close relationship with the Armed Forces for many years. A large part of the village was built post-war for the Army and many families have settled in the village after their posting.
Captain Lee Hazard of the Royal Navy said, “Village Remembrance has a more intimate act of reflection being amongst the church family. Currently serving and no stranger to being sent on operational tours, coming home is a constant and provides me with a bastion of faith. Through Northern Ireland troubles, the Balkans, Iraq, Afghanistan and others, the remembrance service allows spiritual time to pray for those that did not come home or came home changed.”
Retired Major Peter Wood added, “Barton Stacey lost a significant number of villagers in WW1 and those souls are remembered on the War Memorial at the west end of our village church, All Saints. With the commencement of WWII, 4 Army camps were built adjacent to the village which were in continual use until 1985, during which time All Saints was used as the Garrison Church. It is said that well over 1 million service personnel passed through these camps. The friendly association that grew between the Armed Services, the civilian population, and the church, has proved to be an everlasting bond over the years enhanced by marriages, retirements, and memories, with many ex-servicemen and women having settled here and flourished.”
All Saints, Winchester
Alongside its traditional service, All Saints Church in Winchester hosted a Remembrance exhibition. It featured a display of wartime artefacts from WW1 rifles, ammunition and grenades, World War 2 helmets, gas masks, ration books, medals and the travelling chaplain’s communion kit which would have been used on the frontline.
The exhibition finished on Sunday with a small compline service.
The exhibition was organised by Steve Jarvis who said, “It’s good to have the compline service to finish the exhibition and it’s what the soldiers would have finished their day with too so we will be thinking of them. It would have given them the strength to go forward the next day. We’re remembering all the people who served from this area, those who died and those who came back. This display is to educate younger people especially, that war is nasty and our relatives in the past suffered greatly. We want to think about war and try to prevent it happening again.”
St Mary’s Kings Worthy
For the last 10 years St Mary’s Church in Kings Worthy has held a special Remembrance service for Year 5 pupils from the local primary school. An act of remembrance takes place at the village war memorial where the children read out the names of all those from the village who were killed in the two world wars and stand in silence to remember. They are also told about the history of the village during that time and the stories behind some of the names on the WW1 and WW2 war memorials, bringing to life the sacrifices made by those who never came home.
John Sweeting from St Mary’s organised the event, along with the local history group. He said, “The younger people don’t know anything about war. Their experience and understanding of what it was like is non existent. This is an opportunity to tell the pupils about what happened and what Kings Worthy was like during the two world wars. The church is the centre of the remembering, it’s where the Remembrance service is held every year. This is their own service where they can lay a wreath, read the names of those who died and be part of the remembrance.”
Katelyn Williamson, Year 5 teacher added, “I think it’s wonderful for children to learn about where they live and to see what it was like during the war years and to take a moment to learn what Remembrance is about and to stand in silence to remember those from the village who gave their lives for us.”
More than 200 people also attended the church for its annual Remembrance service.
St John’s, Alresford
St Johns in Alresford had a poignant and thought provoking display of poppies outside its main doors. They were knitted by local residents and erected by the local men’s shed. One resident commented that they took her breath away
On Sunday the church held an All-age Remembrance Breakfast Church. One parishioner said, “This was an exceptionally moving Remembrance Service as it involved young children right up through all ages to over 90 year olds. A truly inter-generational experience.”
This was followed by a service of remembrance, with the community coming together alongside various uniformed groups. Another parishioner commented, “The sound of the bell tolling and the community standing together with those in uniform was very moving.”
St John the Baptist, North Baddesley
On Remembrance Sunday over 200 people from the village gathered outside All Saints Church, North Baddesley ready to walk up the hill to St. John the Baptist Church, where the war memorial has stood for 104 years for a short Act of Remembrance. The procession included members of the Parish Council, uniformed youth organisations and members of the armed forces. The two minutes silence was observed at 11am. The Brownie Pack, which meets at the church every week, made some small pennant flags which they carried with them displaying their thoughts on Remembrance and World Peace. These, together with the poppy wreaths, were laid by the war memorial. The Women’s Institute also laid their own handmade wreath.
The picture shows WO2 Mutea-Culloch and Captain McCulloch who live in the village.
The Benefice of Tadley with Pamber Heath and Silchester
At St. Paul’s Church Revd Steve McKay led Messy Church Remembrance where 112 young people took part in crafts and paused to remember at 11am.
He said “We considered how wars start and how conflict can be avoided. We considered sometimes how the conflict in our hearts quickly becomes the conflict we see, specifically how quickly ‘I want that’ becomes ‘I have to have that’ and eventually ‘I will take that.’ The service culminated in each young person receiving a ribbon which they tied together to make one huge ‘unbroken cord of love’ which stretched all the way around the church as their commitment to peace. It was so wonderful to see so many young people wanting to remember, to learn from the past so that they can build a better future.”
Meanwhile at Tadley North a remembrance service was held at St. Mary’s and Reverend Chris Knight and Lay Minister and RAF Chaplain, Charles Lewis led several hundred people in an act of remembrance around Baughurst War Memorial. Acts of Remembrance also took place around Silchester War Memorial and at St. Luke’s Church in Pamber Heath, ensuring that clergy were able to lead a time of remembrance in all the towns and villages in the benefice.
In the afternoon Revd Steve, Chris and Charles led the annual Tadley Service of Remembrance in St. Paul’s Church. Around 500 people gathered to reflected on the cost of war both on those who fought, but also on families, friends, communities and survivors.
St John the Evangelist, Hook
The act of remembrance at Hook war memorial also brought the community together. The service was led by St John the Evangelist Church with St John’s Choir, Bramshill Hook Scouts and Cubs, Guides and Brownies, Sacred Heart Roman Catholic Church, Hook Parish Council and Hart District Council.
Andover Parishes
A service and act of remembrance was held at St Mary’s Church in Andover and a 2 minutes silence at 11am. Each year people then walk through the cemetery to visit war graves of those who served from Andover, focussing specifically on a group of people. This year it was honouring women who served in the military. Their stories were shared and their graves marked with a poppy cross as a way of giving thanks for their lives.
Pastor Natalie Wyatt said, “Remembrance in Andover Parish connects us with our past and honours the lives of those who served our nation in pursuit of peace and freedom. We honour those whose memories of war and family connections serve to remind us of the sacrifices that were made to give us the world we have today. As a military town, home of Army HQ and thousands of residents who serve in military positions, Remembrance Sunday and Armistice are some of the most important moments of our year where we see thousands of people come to pay their respects at memorials across the town, church services and civic gatherings. As is appropriate on days like this: “Greater love hath no man than this, that a man lay down his life for his friends” (John 15:13). The words of this verse remain true of both the past that we remember and relevant to those who serve our country even today in and around Andover.”
