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'The town that never forgets' marks Armistice Day

Joan Cumminsin Bedworth
BBC A parade of servicepeople in brown uniforms and black hats are marching down a road. Red poppy leaves are cascading down around them.BBC
The Bedworth Armistice event has been running since 1921

"The town that never forgets" has fallen silent to hold its annual remembrance service event, marking Armistice Day.

Bedworth, in Warwickshire, has held its parade and service every year since 1921.

On Wednesday, thousands flocked to watch the parade, before gathering at the town's war memorial for a service. The service was joined by young and old, as well as veterans, those currently serving and groups including police cadets, brownies and scouts.

"It's a tradition that I don't think as a town we'll ever give up - no matter how old people get, no matter the hundreds of years that pass," said George Finch, local councillor and leader of the borough council.

"This goes on every single year and has done for a long, long time, and for me it's a day for our young people especially... for them to understand what it means to remember.

"They [veterans] gave their futures for our tomorrow, and that sticks with me because we have to keep fighting on, we can't give up like they didn't give up."

In the foreground is an umbrella depicting two women in a green field with a house in the background among trees. Next to the women are hundreds of red poppies.
A parade was held through the town, before a service in front of the war memorial
A close up of a pin inside a clear plastic pouch. It is leaning on a stack of magazines. The pin has the silhouette of a service person holding a gun, and has red poppies falling down from the sky around them. writing reads "bedworth armistice"
The event was started by a local schoolteacher more than 100 years ago

The parade was started in 1921 by schoolteacher, Alfred Lawrence, who was one of the founders of the Bedworth branch of the Royal British Legion.

The tradition continued through World War Two, and organisation of the event was passed through various veterans over the years.

In 1996 the parade had grown so much that a specialist committee was created to help with organising it.

The parade now commemorates the dead of the two World Wars and honours those who have since given their lives in conflicts across the world.

The town usually hosts more than 7,000 people for the event.

Servicepeople are gathered in a horseshoe shape in front of some grass. in the middle of them is a large stone war memorial. Each person has a flag which depicts battalions
George Finch, leader of Warwickshire County Council, said the aim was to make the event bigger every year

The event was streamed live on YouTube, showing people waving Union Jack flags as the parade moved past.

Finch said there was ambition to make the event bigger every year.

"We will work with whatever committee we can to get it done," he told the BBC.

"We need to keep pushing at this because this is what keeps people remembering."

He said he had memories of attending the event as a child, lining up as a young student and holding a wreath.

He added: "My great great grand-dad fought and died in the Battle of the Somme - George Bower - and the whole family always came and will always come."

A banner running along a wall that has huge red and black poppies on it. There is a large Union Jack on the left, and on the right there is a large logo with the silhouettes of two service people in front of a red poppy. "Bedworth Armistice" is written in black writing.
The event costs about £25,000 to put on every year
A parade of service people are walking down a street. There are red poppy leaves scattered on the ground and people gathered watching them. They are dressed in black or navy blue suits and uniforms, and are saluting and marching.
A specialist committee organises the event due to its size

Ken Whitehead, chairman of the committee, said he was proud that the tradition had continued and said young people were the future.

"They have got to carry this on," he said.

"We try to keep the kids involved, we do little quizzes for them and we give them something to do."

He said the committee was working out new ways to raise funds, as they acclimatise to penny donation boxes being used less, and the rise of contactless payments.

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