Due to the current lockdown, Tunbridge Wells Borough Council (TWBC) announced last week that it ‘regretfully’ had to take the decision to limit plans for this year’s Remembrance Sunday service in order to ‘mitigate the risks of ongoing Covid-19 transmission.’
“Regretfully we have had to take the difficult decision to shorten the service significantly this year. There will be no live music or March Past and Salute,” a TWBC spokesperson confirmed.
“We understand that this is an important day for many families to mark their remembrance of service personnel lost to us, but we ask that you do not attend the small service that is being planned at the War Memorial in Royal Tunbridge Wells.”
Yet despite the Council’s request for people to stay away and watch the ceremony online, there was still a small number of shoppers who stopped to pay their respects. They gathered near to where the ceremony was taking place in Civic Way, in a specially cordoned off area, at 11am in order to observe the two minutes’ silence to honour the fallen from both World War Wars and other conflicts.
The service, which began at 10.45am, was led by Reverend Lawrence Powell, vicar of King Charles the Martyr Church. He was assisted by Pastor Gareth Jones of The Pantiles Baptist Church and Imam Yasser Balesaria Tunbridge Wells from Tunbridge WE Islamic and Cultural Centre.
Also in attendance were Mayor Joy Podbury and President of the Tunbridge Wells Royal British Legion David Wakefield, who both laid wreaths at the War Memorial.
