PEOPLE across Leicester will remember the city’s fallen service men and women this weekend.
The city’s annual Service of Remembrance will take place at the Arch of Remembrance in Victoria Park on Sunday (9 November) from 10.45am.
There will be a special poignancy to Sunday’s service, as this year marks 80 years since the end of the Second World War as well as the centenary of Leicester’s magnificent Arch of Remembrance, which was unveiled in 1925 as a memorial to those who had lost their lives in the First World War.
The Portland stone arch has been carefully restored in time for Remembrance Day, with specialist contractors using high-temperature steam to gently clean the stonework. Lettering etched into the stone has also been re-gilded, using materials in keeping with the arch’s Listed Building status.
On Sunday, a parade – led by the Seaforth Highlanders Pipes and Drums and comprising members of the armed forces, reservists, veterans and cadets – will step off from De Montfort Hall at 10.40am and make its way to the arch, where the Service of Remembrance will be conducted by the Bishop of Loughborough, the Rt Reverend Saju Muthulaly.
A bugler will sound the Last Post, before the firing of salutes marks the start of the two-minute silence at 11am. A piper from the Seaforth Highlanders will play a lament before the service continues.
The band of the Salvation Army will accompany the hymns, supported by the City of Leicester Singers and the Leicester Cathedral Choir.
Official wreaths will be laid by the Vice Lord-Lieutenant of Leicestershire, Colonel Richard Hurwood DL, and the Lord Mayor of Leicester, Cllr Teresa Aldred, together with representatives of local emergency services, military units and faith communities. Other organisations and veterans’ associations will lay wreaths immediately afterwards, while there will be an opportunity for members of the public to lay wreaths at the end of the service.
This year, wreaths will also be laid by Maureen Hill and Janet Irons, whose grandmothers unveiled the Arch of Remembrance in a ceremony one hundred years ago. Maureen’s grandmother, Annie Glover, and Janet’s grandmother, Elizabeth Butler, lost seven sons between them in the First World War.
After the service, the parade will step off through the Arch of Remembrance and back onto Centenary Walk, returning to De Montfort Hall.
Lord Mayor Cllr Teresa Aldred said: “Remembrance Sunday is a time when we can come together as a city and county to reflect on the sacrifices made by the men and women of our armed forces in defence of our country.
“This is an opportunity for us to pay our respects to all those whose lives have been lost in armed conflict and I will be deeply honoured to lay a wreath in their memory on behalf of the people of Leicester.”
Limited public seating will be available at the Service of Remembrance on a first come, first served basis and there will be a designated seating area for those with a disability or who are unable to stand for long periods.
Granville Road car park will be closed from midnight on Saturday (8 November) until around 1pm on Sunday (9 November) and drivers are reminded that vehicles should not be left in the car park overnight.
A limited number of parking spaces for Blue Badge holders will be available. Those requiring a space are asked to send their request to lord.mayor@leicester.gov.uk or to call 0116 454 0020.
Road closures will be in operation on both Granville Road and Regent Road from 9am until 1pm on Sunday. Parking restrictions will also be in place. Access will be maintained for residents of Salisbury Road.
On Remembrance Day itself (Tuesday, 11 November), Leicester Market will observe a two-minute silence at 11am, with shoppers and traders in Green Dragon Square invited to pause in reflection with the Lord Mayor of Leicester.
ends