Diss, Eye and Harleston among the towns making special efforts to mark Remembrance day despite restrictions
Communities pressed ahead with remembrance commemorations in reduced form, as councillors and representatives paid their respects to the thousands of men and women who gave their lives in conflict.
In line with government restrictions, Remembrance Sunday in Diss was condensed into a small wreath-laying ceremony, which was preceded by a short private act of remembrance by the Rev Tony Billett in St Mary’s Church.
The usual Armistice Day parade in the town was cancelled, with Diss Town Council encouraging the community to take the time to “reflect privately in their homes or places of work at 11am”.
Eye, Suffolk, 04/11/2020..Fred Astbury spray painting poppies on the pavement in preparation for Remembrance Sunday...Picture: Mark Bullimore Photography.
As a means of marking the day, the council has put together a picture gallery so that anyone who has photos that “symbolise the sentiment of Remembrance Day”, can send them in for inclusion.
Despite the restrictions, people across the district found creative ways to be a part of proceedings and pay their respects.
Attleborough fire station created a poppy out of hose reels, while in Eye, Fred Astbury spray-painted poppies on the floor around the town’s war memorial to help.
In Harleston, children hand-painted their own messages on a series of stones and the Bobby family were invited to draw chalk poppies beside the memorial.
Terry Pegg, vice-chairman of the Harleston and District branch of the Royal British Legion, said: “Remembrance Sunday in Harleston was well supported by the whole community, albeit in a different way this year.
“Over the weekend, many visited the war memorial at different times for a quiet moment of reflection and some laid individual memorial crosses.
“Stones with remembrance emblems, poppies and messages were placed on graves of veterans and relatives in all of the local churchyards and around the memorial, to be taken by veterans and families to be kept as keepsakes, which was a really thoughtful gesture.”
Simon Bobby, who was invited with his family to draw chalk poppies beside the war memorial, said: “The legion asked us to create a poppy and we jumped at the chance and created two. We really hope they helped to make the day special for those who could attend.”
