FOLLOWING last year’s special remembrance parades to mark the centenary of the end of the First World War, the borough is making preparations for this year’s services and parades.
Most churches will hold services that include a two-minute silence at 11am, and there are also gatherings and parades around village war memorials. Here we round-up some of the events taking place on Sunday.
Arborfield
A parade will leave the Arborfield Royal British Legion club in Eversley Road from 10.30am, marching to the village memorial for 10.45am. A short act of remembrance will be held at the memorial and will then be followed by refreshments at the Royal British Legion. For the service, villagers will be joined by the Royal County of Berkshire ACF band and the Arborfield Military Wives Choir.
St Bartholomew’s Church in Arborfield will hold a remembrance service that starts at 10am.
Barkham
A communion service starting at 10am will be held at St James Church. The church is currently studying the topic of The Man Who Would Be King and this service is called Opposing The King.
Beech Hill
The act of remembrance will take place in the village on Sunday, November 10.
The morning worship at St Mary’s Church will start at 9am and include a focus on remembrance.
The traditional gathering for the 11am armistice will take place from 10.55am in Beech Hill Memorial Hall.
Earley
The church of Earley St Peter’s in Church Road will hold a Remembrance Service that starts at 10.50am and take place around the war memorial in the church grounds. It will end around 11.30am. St Nicolas in Sutcliffe Avenue will hold a service from 10am.
Finchampstead
St James’ Church will hold a remembrance Sunday service at 10.50am. Then, in the afternoon, a Remembrance Parade and Service will take place at Memorial Park. Gather from 2.30pm. Local Scouts will be involved in the parade.
Hurst
St Nicholas Church in Hurst is home to the village’s war memorial. It will hold a service on Remembrance Sunday from 10.45am.
Remenham
The church of St Nicholas will hold the parish’s act of remembrance. The service will start at 10.55am and will be followed by sung Matins from the Book of Common Prayer.
Ruscombe
An early service will be held in the churchyard of St James at 8.45am. It will be followed by a communion service in the church at 9am.
Shinfield
The village’s churches and uniformed organisations will be joining forces for an act of Remembrance which will be held on the village green.
A parade from the Health Centre at 10.30am, before the service at 10.50am.
A two-minute silence will be observed while groups and individuals will be able to lay their tributes.
The service ends at 11.45am, with refreshments in Shinfield Infants Hall afterwards.
There will be no 10am services at Shinfield Baptist or Shinfield St Mary’s.
Sindlesham
Sindlesham Baptist Church will hold a remembrance Sunday service from 10.30am.
Sonning
St Andrew’s Church in Sonning will form the focal point for the village’s Act of Remembrance. It will hold a special service starting at 10.30am.
Spencers Wood
St Michael and All Angels Church will hold a family service at 10am, followed by a procession and act of remembrance at the War Memorial in front of the church at 11am.
Swallowfield
A Remembrance Day service will be held at the village’s War Memorial starting at 10.15am. After the short service there will be a procession to All Saints church in the village, where a Remembrance Service will take place from 10.45am. The roads around the War Memorial will be closed for the duration of the service.
Twyford
A special service which will be held at St Mary’s Church in Station Road. Starting at 10.30am, it will bring together local Scouts for a parade from Waitrose to the church. Hundreds of people take to the streets of the village to join in the short act of remembrance led by the church’s clergy and include wreath-laying by local groups and dignitaries.
Wargrave
A parade featuring uniformed organisations will meet in Church Street at 9.15am, marching to St Mary’s Church via Wargrave High Street and Station Road. It will be led by Saint Sebastian Band, Wokingham. Then, a service will take place at 10am at St Mary’s Church, before the congregation move to Mill Green for 10.45am to take part in an act of Remembrance at the village’s war memorial. A collection for the Poppy Appeal will be taken during the service.
Winnersh
St Mary the Virgin in Winnersh will have their normal 9.30am Holy Communion Service, which will include a short Act of Remembrance.
Wokingham town
Remembrance is a busy time in Wokingham town with severa events taking place. As ever, there will be a civic parade forming up outside the town hall from 2.30pm on Sunday, November 10. This makes its way along Rose Street to All Saints Church where there is a service of remembrance. Taking part will be the mayoral party, dignitaries, Scouts, Guides and other uniformed organisations, all honouring those who sacrificed their lives for our freedom on this national day of remembrance.
Any organisations wishing to take part in the parade must register their interest with the Civic Officer in advance at civic@wokingham-tc.gov.uk or 0118 974 0882.
And on Monday, November 11, Armistice Day itself, Wokingham Town Council will lead a two-minute silence around the Field of Remembrance in the Market Place at 11am. Everyone to observe.
Wokingham Without
St Sebastian’s Church in Wokingham will hold a series of special services on Sunday, November 12.
An all-age service will start at 10am, leading to an act of remembrance at the War Graves, starting at 10.50am. Then, at 11.15am, there will be a shortened service of Holy Communion.
Refreshments will be served in the church hall after the War Graves two-minute silence.
Woodley
A SERVICE of remembrance will take place at 10am at St John The Evangelist Church in
Church Road. Similar services will take place at 10.15am at Woodley Baptist Church, 10.30am in Christ Church, Crockhamwell Road and also St James in Kingfisher Drive. A service of remembrance will be held at St John Bosco from 10am.
A Gathering of Remembrance takes place at the War Memorial at 11am on November 11 each year. The gathering is open to all and Woodley Town Council, local schools, community groups and other organisations lay wreaths and observe the two-minute silence.
