PLANS for Remembrance Day are in full flow as communities merge to remember those who lost their lives in the line of duty.
Taunton Town Council, working in collaboration with the Taunton Branch of the Royal British Legion, Taunton Minster and Somerset Council, will host a series of events in support of the annual festival of Remembrance.
Remembrance commemorations are observed to honour the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women involved in the two World Wars, and in later conflicts.
The Events:
The events will begin with the Dedication of the Field of Remembrance on Wednesday, November 6.
This short service will take place from 10:50am in Taunton Minster churchyard.
On Remembrance Sunday, 10 November, a service led by Revd Jamie Fox and Revd Louise Bale, will be held at Taunton Minster from 9:30am, which will also be livestreamed via the Minster’s website.
After the church service, a parade of veterans, scouts, guides, and cadets will march through the town where a civic party will take the salute on the steps of the Old Municipal Buildings in Corporation Street.
The civic party will then process into Vivary Park where the Service of Remembrance and wreath placing ceremony will take place in front of the War Memorial at 11am.
This short service will be livestreamed on the Taunton Town Council Facebook page.
Road closures:
As usual, temporary road closures will be in place throughout the commemorations.
However please note that this year the closures will be slightly different, extending down to Hurdle Way and the junction of East Reach and Silver Street to enable Upper High Street to remain clear of traffic throughout.
You can find out more information about which roads are closed, how long for and any diversions that are in place on the One Network.
Whirligig Lane Car Park will be closed from 6:00pm on Saturday, November 9, until approximately 12:30pm on Sunday, November 12, to ensure the parade route is fully isolated for both the Civic Service Procession and the marching parade.
Actual Remembrance Day (Monday, November 11)
On Monday, 11 November, the Mayor of Taunton, Councillor Vanessa Garside will lead a two-minute silence in Taunton town centre from 10:55am for Armistice Day.
The two-minute silent pause of remembrance is observed at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month to mark the end of the First World War. The Town Centre closures for this are available to view here.
Where can I get my poppy?
Commemorative poppies are available to purchase from the Poppy shop, with the appeal formally launching on Fore Street in the Town Centre on Saturday 26 October, check out their Facebook page for a timetable of activities.
The shop will be located in the foyer of Taunton Visitor Centre, Ground Floor of the Market House on Fore Street.
The Poppy Shop will be open Monday to Saturday, between 9:30am and 16:30pm from Thursday, 24 October, until Saturday, 9 November.
Alternatively, poppies can be purchased in businesses and organisations throughout the town or ordered online at poppyshop.org.uk
Councillor Bev Fernandes, Armed Forces Champion for Taunton Town Council said “Taunton Town Council consider it an honour to host this series of events. It is an active demonstration of our commitment to the Armed Forces, which we formalised last year when we signed the Armed Forces Covenant.
"We are moving forward on this commitment and recently applied for Bronze level accreditation, in recognition of the steps we have already made in supporting our serving and retired personnel of the Armed Forces and their families."
Comments: Our rules
We want our comments to be a lively and valuable part of our community - a place where readers can debate and engage with the most important local issues. The ability to comment on our stories is a privilege, not a right, however, and that privilege may be withdrawn if it is abused or misused.
Please report any comments that break our rules.
Read the rules here