By Andrew Topping, Local Democracy Reporter
Residents and councils across Nottinghamshire are preparing for events this weekend to mark Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.
Local authorities have organised ceremonies, parades and wreath-laying events to remember the fallen on what is the 101st anniversary of the Royal British Legion and 104 years since the end of the First World War.
The country will fall silent at 11am on Sunday, November 13 to mark the event.
Some events will also be held at the same time on Friday, November 11 – the official Armistice Day.
Below are all the local authority-backed events taking place across Nottingham and Nottinghamshire, broken down by councils.
Nottingham City Council and Nottinghamshire County Council
A Remembrance Sunday service will take place on Sunday, November 13 at the war memorial on Victoria Embankment, with representatives from both the city and county councils.
The ceremony will begin at 10.45am and will include a two-minute silence and wreath laying. It will include music from the Nottinghamshire Band of the Royal Engineers and the Nottingham Hospitals’ Choir.
It will begin with the traditional parade at Wilford Grove including Armed Forces personnel, cadets and veterans.
Following the service, the parade will depart from the memorial and march towards Bunbury Street, saluting the Lord Lieutenant Sir John Peace before finishing.
Wreaths will be laid by Sir John, the Lord Mayor of Nottingham Councillor Wendy Smith (Lab), and county council chairman Cllr Roger Jackson (Con), as well as representatives from other authorities, the military and faith groups.
A short Service of Remembrance also will take place on the steps of the Council House on Friday, November 11, the Labour-run city council has confirmed.
The service starts at 10.50am and will include the two-minute silence at 11am, with members of the public encouraged to attend.
The Lord Mayor Cllr Smith and the Sheriff of Nottingham Cllr Nicola Heaton will join other dignitaries for the event.
There will be no Remembrance activity in Old Market Square on Sunday.
Ashfield District Council
Council events will take place in the three main towns of Ashfield to mark Remembrance Sunday.
An event in Hucknall on Sunday (November 13) will see a parade form by 10.15am on the Market Square and there will be a service, including wreath-laying, alongside a two-minute silence at the Cenotaph in Titchfield Park.
In Sutton, a parade will leave from Forest Street at 10.20am towards the Cenotaph, where a service will be held from 10.50am – again including wreath-laying and a two-minute silence.
Kirkby’s event will include a service of Remembrance at St Thomas’ Church at 9.45am. The parade will leave from St Thomas’ Avenue at 10.50am towards the War Memorial in Kirkby.
This will include a service, wreath-laying and a two-minute silence, the Ashfield Independent-led council has confirmed.
Bassetlaw District Council
Bassetlaw District Council is hosting an event between 10.10am and 12.30pm on Sunday (November 13) to mark Remembrance Sunday in Worksop.
The Labour-run authority says a parade will ‘form up’ in the Old Market Square, near the Town Hall, before marching down to the war memorial via Potter Street and Watson Road at about 10.35am.
A short wreath-laying service and an act of Remembrance will take place at the memorial at about 10.50am, with the Worksop Salvation Army to play The Last Post before a two-minute silence at 11am.
The parade will then march back to Old Market Square.
The council has also confirmed an event will take place in Retford to mark the occasion.
This will be held by the Retford and District Branch of the Royal British Legion at The War Memorial in Market Square, beginning at 10.45am on Sunday.
It will include readings, hymns, reflections, bible readings and prayers before The Last Post and a two-minute silence.
Wreaths will also be laid by dignitaries from across Bassetlaw, including the deputy lieutenant of Nottinghamshire, the Royal British Legion, council representatives, veterans and other civic organisations.
Broxtowe Borough Council
Broxtowe Borough Council says it has organised an event “befitting of this important occasion” after some “disappointment was felt within the community” after last year’s event in Beeston.
The event will include a full parade and service at the war memorial for a wreath-laying ceremony and two-minute silence at 11am, followed by a service at Beeston Parish Church until 12.30pm.
The Labour/Lib Dem-led authority says the event has been organised alongside the Royal British Legion, Nottinghamshire Police, local Army barracks and uniformed organisations.
Road closures will be in place throughout Beeston to facilitate the parade, with Dovecote Lane, Grange Avenue, West End and Middle Street affected.
Gedling Borough Council
Labour-run Gedling Borough Council has confirmed four events will take place across its borough over the weekend to mark Remembrance.
There will be a wreath-laying event with council staff from 10.50am on Friday (November 11) at the war memorial in Arnot Hill Park, Arnold, near the authority’s headquarters.
There will also be a Polish Cross Commemoration Service event at Watchwood Plantation, Calverton, on Saturday (November 12), with people asked to get there from 10am.
St Paul’s Church in Mansfield Road, Daybrook, will host the Arnold Parade and church service on Sunday (November 13).
It will begin at Arnold Victory Club at 9.15am ready to march to the church, followed by another wreath-laying ceremony at the Arnot Hill Park memorial at 11am.
All three events will include the mayor of Gedling in attendance.
There will also be a wreath-laying ceremony and church service at All Hallows Church in Arnold Lane, Gedling, with the event starting at 10am. The deputy mayor of Gedling will be in attendance at this event.
Mansfield District Council
Labour-run Mansfield District Council is hosting its annual parade on Remembrance Sunday (November 13).
Political figures and local dignitaries will begin the event at the Civic Centre, on Chesterfield Road South, from 10am, with a wreath-laying ceremony to be held at the War Memorial.
The parade will then start at 10.15am from the Civic Centre, heading to St Peter and St Paul’s Church via Rosemary Street, Westfield Lane, West Gate, Market Place and Church Street.
The service, which is for parade participants, will start at 10.40am and includes a two-minute silence at 11am.
There will also be a two-minute silence led by the Royal British Legion in the Market Place at 11am.
After the service, the parade will regroup and march back along Church Street towards Market Place for a salute in front of the Old Town Hall.
This will take place at noon as a “final mark of respect”, with the parade to be dismissed at West Gate by about 12.15pm.
Road closures will be in place between 9.30am and 12.30pm, with affected roads including Rosemary Street, Westfield Lane, Wood Street, West Gate, St John Street, Market Place, White Hart Street and Church Street.
There are also events in Forest Town, Mansfield Woodhouse, Warsop, Pleasley Vale, Clipstone and Bellamy Road, which have been published on the authority’s website.
Newark and Sherwood District Council
Newark and Sherwood District Council has confirmed its chairman will attend three events to mark the occasion between Thursday and Sunday.
The first will be in collaboration with Newark Town Council and is the annual schools’ Remembrance Service for local primary schools.
It will begin at 10.40am to form a procession before arriving at the town’s war memorial to lay wreaths at 11am.
There will also be an event on Sunday (November 13) beginning at 10.15am
Newark Town Council’s website confirms the service will begin place at Newark Town Hall’s ballroom, with a procession formed and making its way to the Parish Church.
The Town Mayor will then accompany the Deputy Town Mayor to the cemetery, where they will lay a wreath on the War Memorial.
There will also be a parade of standards through the town, starting at London Road car park.
Guests will then gather for a small service by the memorial at St Mary Magdelene Parish Church, where wreaths will be laid.
The congregation will then move into the church for a formal ceremony, with the town mayor laying a poppy on the Book of Remembrance before guests return to the Town Hall.
A third event will be attended by the Tory-led district council’s chairman, at Balderton Parish Council’s event, which begins at the Air Museum cafe at 2.45pm for a 3pm start.
Rushcliffe Borough Council
Conservative-led Rushcliffe Borough Council will be hosting a two-minute silence in Central Avenue, West Bridgford, shortly before 11am on Friday (November 11).
The event will include Cllr Tina Combellack (Con), the mayor of Rushcliffe, and other members of the community and local dignitaries.
It will start shortly before 11am, with a bugler playing The Last Post on the stroke of the hour followed by the two-minute reflection.
The authority has confirmed no road closures will be in place for the event.
