Remembrance Sunday in Montgomery
At the Garden of Remembrance & County War Memorial 2023
The Remembrance Sunday Parade formed up on Broad Street, marshalled by the Sergeants at Mace, David and Mark Weaver. The parade omprised veterans from each service; Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and Rangers with their standards; the Trefoil Guild; Freemen of Montgomery; the Clergy; the Fire Service; the Sergeants at Mace, members of the Town Council, and the County Councillor.
Sadly the usual Parade Marshall Sue Blower had to step down on this occasion because of serious back problems. This is the first Remembrance Day she has been unable to attend in over 20 years as Montgomery Town Crier. She was missed and everyone involved wishes her well.
With flags and standards, under a sky somewhat greyer and damper than last year’s beautiful sunshine, they marched from Broad Street to St Nicholas’ Church for the Remembrance Sunday Service led by Revd. Mary Turnock and newly ordained Revd. Rebecca Lalbiaksangi from the Chapel.
During part of the service, Montgomery Guiding ran activities for the Rainbows, Brownies, Guides and other children in the North Transept of the church. The children heard about the 90 Girl Guides who worked for the secret services as messengers during and after the First World War - the Boy Scouts who were employed initially by MI5 had been sacked for being too talkative! The older children then had a go at cracking secret codes to reveal the Remembrance poems "In Flanders Fields" and "Remembrance Day", while the youngest children searched for poppy pictures around the room and put them together to make the poem "Little Poppy".
Following the service in church, the parade reformed and continued at a slow march to the Garden of Remembrance and War Memorial, where they remembered the men and women of Montgomery Town who served in the two World Wars and the sacrifices of those whose lives were lost and damaged in these and later conflicts.
The parade bugler, Nikki Evans-Pugh, played Suo Gân as everyone assembled for the service, which was led by Revd. Mary Turnock who opened with ecumenical prayers on behalf of St Nicholas’ Church and Montgomery Chapel. The two National flags were paraded either side of the Memorial by Paul Hodgson and Russ Honeyman, an RAF veteran. Thirteen wreaths were laid on behalf of the town’s organisations and in memory of those who suffered.
The bugler sounded The Last Post and the National flags and standards lowered for two minutes’ silence, during which the Exhortation to Remember and the Kohima Epitaph were read by Captain Paul Hodgson and Chris Boundy, whose father Terry served in the Far East in the Second World War. As the bugler sounded Reveille, the flags were raised and the names of Montgomery’s Fallen, and the theatres of war where each man fell, were read out by Michael Jordan and Paul Hodgson. The Act of Remembrance concluded with prayers, the National Anthems and a blessing.
Cllr Rob Harper commented, “A huge attendance today at Remembrance Sunday. From small children to senior residents. The weather did not hamper those who wanted to show their respects.”
Mayor Wendy Beaven said, “As Revd. Mary Turnock emphasised in her address, we do not glorify past conflicts, but we strive to learn from them. Montgomery Honours our fallen heroes, and all those of all religions and nationalities who gave their tomorrow for our today.”
It was a cold day, and all were grateful for the hot beverages afterwards. Thanks go to the Trefaldwyn Ladies Club who provided most welcome post-service refreshments.
Later in the afternoons fading light, a good number of people from Montgomery made their way up Town Hill for the now traditional short Service of Remembrance held at the Montgomeryshire County War Memorial. County Councillor Jeremy Brignell-Thorp and Town Councillor Cyndy Humphreys laid memorial wreaths for the County and Town respectively, and District Guiding Commissioner Paulette Gower placed a wreath on behalf of Girlguiding Montgomeryshire.
Revd. Paulette led prayers, with the Exhortation from Laurence Binyon’s 1914 poem “For the Fallen” read by Paul Hodgson, the Kohima Epitaph spoken by Chris Boundy.
Battling a gusting wind, Bill Ridley sounded The Last Post and Reveille as the national flags were lowered and raised in honour of the County’s Fallen. It was a fitting end to a memorable day when the people of Montgomery remembered.