Hundreds lined the streets of Farnham town centre for the traditional Remembrance Sunday parade on Sunday morning.
The parade, including serving soldiers of the Princess of Wales Royal Regiment, left Castle Street in a thin drizzle of rain shortly after 10am for the service at the Gostrey Meadow war memorial.
Alder Valley Brass Band set the rhythm and all of the town’s uniformed cadet groups, scouting and other youth organisations marched alongside an array of community groups and civic representatives.
The mayor of Farnham, councillor Alan Earwaker, led the welcomes at the war memorial before chairman of the Farnham Royal British Legion branch, Davey Watters, explained What is Remembrance Sunday.
The deputy mayor of Waverley, John Ward, next read Taking a Stand by John Bailey before the Rector of Farnham, David Uffindell, began the morning’s service.
Deputy lieutenant of Surrey, Brigadier Roger Hood recited a line from Lawrence Binyon’s poem For the Fallen, with Eddie, representing the young people of Farnham, reading the next: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning. We will remember them.”
Bagpiper Hamish Robertson’s mournful lament led into The Last Post, played by bugler Steve Burgess of Alder Valley Brass, before an impeccably observed two-minute silence at 11am.
Reveille, again played by Steve Burgess, announced then end of the silence – followed by Alex Herd, of the British Legion, reading the Kohima Epitaph: “When you go home, tell them of us and say, for your tomorrow, we gave our today.”
Next was the laying of wreaths, announced by parade marshal Ian Hunter, and further hymns and readings by Revd Uffindell and Pastor Fortune Ncube of the Emmanuel Church.
The war memorial service finished with The Lord’s Prayer and National Anthem, and a final blessing by Revd Uffindell, before a salute was taken outside the town council offices by deputy lieutenant Brigadier Hood and the civic party.