HUNDREDS of people both young and old gathered at the Gostrey Meadow war memorial on Remembrance Sunday to pay a moving tribute to all those who have fallen in the name of their country.

Led by the Royal British Legion, Farnham’s traditional Remembrance service was impeccably observed by a large crowd including MP Jeremy Hunt, the Mayor of Farnham. Pat Frost, Deputy Lieutenant of Surrey Brigadier Roger Hood and past and present members of the British Armed Forces.

The day began with a parade to the war memorial by Royal British Legion standard bearers, Pc Chris Skillicorn-Aston, dignitaries, the Alder Valley Brass Band, 3rd Battalion the Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment, cadet forces, St John Ambulance, scouting groups as well as representatives of public services and various community organisations.

Firefighters from Farnham Fire Station were also due to take part in the parade but in a dramatic intervention, were called out to an emergency just minutes before the service began.

Undeterred, the mayor Mrs Frost opened the service with a reading of Kenny Martin’s poem I Went To See The Soldiers , followed by the chairman of the Farnham RBL branch, Roger Brown’s explanation of Remembrance Sunday and reading of John McCrae’s In Flanders Field.

Canon Whitehead recited a passage from the Book of Micah, before Major General Evans read the Ode of Remembrance - ‘We will remember them’ - and a trumpeter of the Alder Valley Brass Band signalled the beginning of the two-minute silence with a rendition of The Last Post.

Farnham RBL vice-president Percy Bartlett then read the Kohima Epitaph - ‘When you go home, tell them of us and say. For their tomorrow, we gave our today’, - before wreathes and crosses were laid on the war memorial as the Alder Valley Brass Band performed Reveille, the traditional bugle call that awakens Commonwealth soldiers at dawn.

Canon Whitehead brought the service to a close with the final prayer: ‘“Ever-living God, we remember those whom you have gathered from the storm of war into the peace of your presence; may that same peace calm our fears, bring justice to all peoples and establish harmony among the nations, through Jesus Christ our Lord.’

And following the service, the parade left for a march past of the council offices in South Street where the salute was taken by Brigadier Hood, Major General Evans, the mayor and Mr Hunt MP, and on to St Andrew’s Church for a service at 11.30am.

A small crowd remained at the Gostrey Meadow war memorial after the service to read the many wreathes, offered hot drinks by members of the Emmanuel Church congregation.

Acts of Remembrance were also observed in Badshot Lea, Hale, Rowledge, St Thomas-on-the Bourne church, St Peter’s in Wrecclesham and Weybourne.