Big crowds honour county's war dead
Organisers have reported the biggest Remembrance Sunday turnout in years as people paid their respects to the war dead.
The Iraq and Afghanistan conflicts and the 90th anniversary of the end of the First World War encouraged large numbers to take part in events across the county.
Among those who braved the cold for the moving service at the war memorial in Victoria Park, Leicester, was Ray Hall.
The 83-year-old, of Oadby, served on a minesweeper flotilla with the Royal Navy during the second world war.
In 1945, his flotilla was sailing in the Mediterranean when many of his friends were blown up by a mine.
Ray said that during the two-minute silence, he thought of those lost friends.
He said: "I think about them all the time, but I remembered losing friends today.
"The service was fantastic and it's very nice to see lots of young people here paying their respects."
Peter Brown, 46, of Blaby, Leicestershire, served 25 years with the 2nd Battalion Royal Anglians, who are currently fighting in Afghanistan.
He said: "We have all lost friends. As long as the youth are here for the right reasons, which is to remember those who died, then it's good to see them."
The Lord Mayor of Leicester, Councillor Manjula Sood, laid a wreath of poppies on behalf of the people of Leicester.
Army cadets, the police, the Royal British Legion, the Territorial Army and religious leaders all took part in the city's service, which saw a march along Peace Walk, in Victoria Park.
In Coalville, around 3,000 people gathered at the Clock Tower memorial at 11am.
Roy Howe, of the Whitwick British Legion, said: "There were a lot more people here than I have ever seen."
Around 5,000 poppies were dropped from the Carillon Tower, in the centre of Loughborough, during the two-minute silence.
Ken Carson, Loughborough's parade organiser, has been attending remembrance services for 30 years.
He said: "The crowd gets bigger every year in Loughborough, it's a job to get them all on to the park, but we did it."
In Melton, Ted Stapleford, of the town's British Legion, said around 300 marchers took part in the parade.
He said: "The large turnout reflects how the public wants to pay its respects."
In Oakham, a remembrance parade took place at 2.30pm at All Saints church.
And in Hinckley, members of the Royal British Legion paraded to the memorial gardens at Argent Mead for the remembrance service.
See tomorrow's Mercury for more coverage of the parades.
6 Comments
View all
by John Ryde, Newbold Verdon
Monday, November 10 2008, 2:56PM
“Once again I was moved by the support of the residents of Coalville at the parade and service at the War Memorial,with an estimated turn out of 3,000.
We were all proud to stand with the surviving veterans wondering what stories lay behind the medals tthat they so proudly wore.
I have also banned myself for a year from visiting the Highcross Centre (or longer)”
by Ian Woolnough, Desford
Monday, November 10 2008, 2:43PM
“Well done to Carol Shaw's father. You should be proud of him. At least the disgraceful way he was treated has made both the local and national press. Shame on Highcross. I wonder if the Leicester Mercury will publish Carol's comment.”
by Carol Shaw, Leicester
Monday, November 10 2008, 2:15PM
“The Soldier mentioned in last weeks Leicester Mercusry for not being allowed to stand in the doorway of the Highcross is my father. He is 84 years old and served in the Navy during World War 2. At 84 he still has a part time job and goes out most days at this special time of year to sell poppies. Last week he had a fall and has broken a bone in his foot. His lef is now in plaster up to his knee, but has that stopped him going out and selling poppies. NO it hasn't. A neighbour was very kind in lending him a wheelchair yesterday so he could take part in the parade. He even managed to lay down his wreath to his fallen comrades. Well Done Dad, i am so proud of you”
by Ian Woolnough, Desford
Monday, November 10 2008, 1:36PM
“I hope that the whole County shows equal respect tommorrow at 11am. Having just seen the disgusting way Highcross treated a Poppy Collector in a certain tabloid paper (The Forces Favourite), I hope they try to make amends by respecting those that paid the ultimate price by observing the 2 minute silence.”
by Kim, Wigston
Monday, November 10 2008, 12:13PM
“It was an honour to wear my poppy all last week especially yesterday. We watched the coverage from London on the news and also when my son played under 9s football yesterday afternoon it was great to see them band together and have a 2-minute silence at the beginning. It is a shame that children are not taught more at school about World War 1. My son is taught at Primary about the Second World War but we should also recognise the Great War that came before it. More people should wear a poppy to recognise those not just lost in War but also those still serving and being killed everyday in Iraq and Afganistan. I want all our War heroes to be remembered in History classes and not to be forgotten and the sacrifices they made to make what our country is today. If it wasn't for them I wouldn't have the freedom to even comment on this page let alone have freedom of speech that our PC brigade is now trying to take away from us. I never knew anyone who died in the Great War but I will always be proud of those who died for me and I will always teach my children the same.”