PEOPLE across Oxfordshire will pay their respects to Britain’s war dead at services across the county this weekend.
On Sunday, parades and wreath-laying ceremonies at war memorials will mark the signing of the Armistice which ended the First World War in 1918.
They will remember fallen heroes from the two world wars and more recent conflicts, including Iraq and Afghanistan.
In Oxford, there are two main services – at the city’s war memorial in St Giles and at Botley Cemetery.
The Very Rev Bob Wilkes, the new City Rector of Oxford, will lead the service in St Giles, which starts at 10.45am. The service in Botley also starts at 10.45am.
Mr Wilkes, who worked with the International Assistance Mission for Afghanistan in the 1990s, said: “With the current conflicts, British service people are dying, so I would like as many people to attend the service as possible.”
Royal British Legion county vice-chairman Jim Lewendon, said: “There has been fantastic support from the public when soldiers from Afghanistan have been repatriated to the John Radcliffe Hospital in Oxford.
“People have been very generous this year buying poppies and we would love to see them on Sunday.”
The ceremonies are at: Abingdon: Service at St Helen’s Church at 10am, then parade to war memorial in Ock Street, arriving at 10.50am.
Banbury: Service at St Mary’s Church, in Horsefair, at 10.45am, followed by wreath-laying at war memorial in People’s Park.
Bicester: Service at the war memorial in Church Street, 10.45am.
Blewbury: Wreath-laying at St Michael’s Church at 11am.
Challows: Parade forms at 10.30am at The Avenue, Childrey, to move off at 10.40am to the war memorial then to St Mary’s Church for a service.
Charlbury: Parade sets from the Spendlove car park at 2.30pm to service at St Mary’s Church.
Didcot: Parade to the war memorial at Civic Hall, in Britwell Road, starts from Edinburgh Drive car park at 2.45pm.
Faringdon: Parade forms at the Corn Exchange at 9.15am, then sets off at 9.30am via Market Place to All Saints Church.
Hanneys: Parade forms at RBL Club, East Hanney, at 10.15am, to march to parish church in West Hanney, where the war memorial is, for service at 11am.
Harwell: Parade forms 10.30am near White Hart to head to war memorial in High Street and then to St Matthew’s Church.
Kidlington: Service at St Mary’s Church at 10am, followed by wreath-laying at war memorial at 10.50am, silence at 11am, and a parade to High Street.
Wallingford: Parade forms at 10.30am in the Cattle Market car park, moves off at 10.45am to the war memorial in Market Place for laying of wreaths, then service at St Mary’s Church.
Wantage: Parade forms at Civic Hall at 10.40am, then via Newbury Street and Church Street to the parish church.
Witney: Ceremony at war memorial before parade to St Mary’s Church for 11am service.
Woodstock: Ceremony at war memorial in Park Street at 10.55am followed by service at St Mary Magdelene Church.
Wootton, near Abingdon: Parade forms at war memorial at 10.30am, then service at St Peter’s Church.
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