Remembrance Sunday 2021: Our guide to events in Cambridge, Ely and across South Cambridgeshire

Cambridgeshire will fall silent on Remembrance Sunday (November 14) in honour of the fallen.

Here is our guide to some of the services in the region.

If you would like us to add an event, email newsdesk@iliffemedia.co.uk.

Cambridge

The mayor of Cambridge, Cllr Russ McPherson, will be representing the city at a memorial event to mark Remembrance Sunday this year, as ceremonies in the region appear to be returning to normal, albeit with some restrictions.

This Sunday, the mayor will be playing bagpipes to lead a procession from Station Road to the war memorial on Hills Road, shortly before 11am.

Representatives of different organisations, including the armed forces and the Royal British Legion, will then take part in a commemorative service at the war memorial led by Rev Devin McClachlan of Great St Mary’s Church.

At the same time, the deputy mayor, Cllr Mark Ashton, will lay a wreath following a procession to the county, city and University of Cambridge’s annual service of remembrance and reconciliation at Great St Mary’s. Both services will be paused at 11am for two minutes’ silence which will be observed across the country.

Cllr McPherson said: “After last year’s Remembrance events were affected by the pandemic and lockdown, I am very pleased that we will be able to meet up in person to mark Remembrance Sunday this year. As always it will be a great honour to represent the city of Cambridge on this solemn occasion.

“I hope that all Cambridge residents will take a moment during the coming days to join me in remembering the sacrifices made by so many of their fellow Cambridge residents in two world wars and in other conflicts since then.”

Residents wishing to join in with the commemorative service can listen in to live coverage from 10.30am on Sunday on Cambridge 105 Radio. Live streaming will also be available via the radio station’s website cambridge105.co.uk and a highlights show will be broadcast on the radio at 9pm on Sunday evening.

Ely

Anyone is welcome to attend the Remembrance Day service at the cathedral on Sunday. There will also be a march through the town, a parade and an Act of Remembrance in the Market Square.

This year, due to the safety of those on parade and the general public, a decision has been made to change the parade format by removing the short march from St Mary’ Church to the cathedral which took place at 10am in past years.

The Royal British Legion, City of Ely Military Band, standards and marching contingents are to take their places within the cathedral before 10.15 ahead of the Remembrance Service at 10.30, which will include a two-minute silence at 11am and a spectacular poppy fall from the Lantern Tower.

At approximately 11.15, the City of Ely Military Band, standards and marching contingents will parade from Ely Cathedral via The Gallery, Minster Place, High Street to the Market Place for the wreath laying service at the Ely War Memorial, concluding with a another two-minute silence followed by a march past the war memorial to take the salute from the Lord Lieutenant.

It is recommended that anyone attending should carry out regular Covid lateral flow tests before and following the event, wear a face covering and adhere to social distancing.

South Cambridgeshire

A ceremony of Remembrance will be taking place at IWM Duxford on Sunday 14 November, with the two-minute silence being followed by a poppy drop from an historic aircraft. Usual opening hours will apply.

Meanwhile, in Histon the service at the war memorial will start at 9.30am and last for about 30-40 minutes. The Royal British Legion is pleased to be able to hold the annual service at the villages’ war memorial, to which all are invited, once again.

There will be the traditional laying of wreaths in memory of the fallen on behalf of the various churches and community organisations, as well as a hymn, the national anthem and the playing of the Last Post and Reveille.

In Waterbeach, the Parish Church of St John the Evangelist - site of the village's memorial - will host the Remembrance Day service at 11.05am. The event itself will start at 10.50am at the war memorial.

During the lockdowns, the Waterbeach and Landbeach communities and churches have quietly knitted and crocheted 5,000 Remembrance Poppies for commemorative installations. The Parish Church of St John the Evangelist will host the resulting poppy-festooned camouflage-netting panels this year. Next year, the panels will travel to the village's sister church of All Saints’, Landbeach.

Speaking of Landbeach, the Remembrance Service at the All Saints' Church there starts at 10am and finishes at 10.50. The congregation will then go outside and observe the two-minute silence.

In Milton, people are invited to gather at the village's war memorial on Coles Road for a service from 10.45 to 11.15, with the Act of Remembrance taking place at 11am. Also, cascading down the church as a mark of Remembrance are many poppies - all sewn, knitted and crocheted by the village community.

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