New Forest and Christchurch communities pause to pay respects on Remembrance Sunday

THOUSANDS across the New Forest and Christchurch paused to pay their respects to the wartime fallen on Remembrance Sunday.

Hundreds gathered in Lymington to lay flowers and wreaths at the memorial, as former and present armed forces personnel marched through the town.

In Lyndhurst, representatives from Belgium, Canada, France, India, Poland and the US joined locals from the police, NFDC, cubs, scouts and guides groups to pay their respects.

Parish council chair Chris Willsher began the service, which included the usual exhortation, Last Post and Reveille, performed by Rob Cox.

NFDC leader Cllr Jill Cleary attended the service at St Michael and All Angels Church, followed by the parade along the High Street to the memorial at Bolton’s Bench.

NFDC chair Cllr David Hawkins attended New Milton’s Remembrance Sunday service, where he laid a wreath alongside the council’s armed forces champion Cllr Alvin Reid.

Cllr Hawkins, who attended commemorations at Keyhaven and Milford later in the day, said: “It’s incredibly important that we continue to recognise those who fought for our country in the two world wars and have served our country ever since.

“We greatly value our ties with our local armed forces community, whose dedication continues to inspire us.”

NFDC vice chair Cllr John Sleep attended Totton and Eling Town Council’s remembrance parade which took place at Totton war memorial.

Council staff also observed two minutes’ silence and laid a wreath at Appletree Court in Lyndhurst on Armistice Day.

Cllrs Hawkins and Cleary were joined by chief executive Kate Ryan and NFDC staff who are armed forces veterans.

• To see more and buy pictures of the Lyndhurst, Keyhaven and Brockenhurst services, visit: www.photos.iliffemedia.co.uk/p324583014

At Bransgore CofE Primary School pupils marked Remembrance Day with a special collective worship. Those youngsters in Scouts, Guides, Cubs, Brownies,

Beavers, Rainbows and Squirrels wore their uniforms to school, and local leaders attended with the Scouting flags. A minute’s silence was held by staff and children.

Steve Mercer, an army veteran and grandad of a pupil, read the Ode and Kohima. Steve was in the Royal Army Medical Corps and was awarded various medals including the Long Service Good Conduct Medal.