At the Eleventh Hour, on the Eleventh Day of the Eleventh Month Guildford Remembers

Published on: 11 Nov, 2019
Updated on: 11 Nov, 2019

At 11am today (November 11), marking exactly 101 years from the end of the First World War, Guildford respected the armistice anniversary with the firing of a maroon, the plaintive sound of the Last Post and a two-minute silence.

The short ceremony in the High Street echoed those held yesterday throughout the borough.

The Mayor was joined by the Revd Canon Robert Cotton, James Whiteman, managing director of Guildford Borough Council, representatives of the Armed Forces, cadets and bugler on the balcony of the Guildhall in the High Street.

Beneath, a small crowd, including armed forces veterans and local councillors, formed a semi-circle to hear Canon Cotton conduct the service.

TA Queen’s Regiment veteran Ian Chatfield, recited the famous lines from Laurence Binyon’s poem, For the Fallen: “They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old: Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn. At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.”

After the ceremony, the Mayor said: “I believe we should always remember those who gave their lives in the service of their country. We owe a huge debt to them all. Not just those who died in both World Wars, but those who have died in conflicts since 1945.

“In Guildford, we have now a separate memorial to them and all were honoured by us yesterday.”

See: Guildford Remembers Past Sacrifice with Traditional Ceremony

Share This Post