PEOPLE gathered at the Whitehill and Bordon War Memorial last Friday to mark Armistice Day.

The annual remembrance service welcomed military personnel, dignitaries and councillors, who laid wreaths and observed silence at 11am on November 11.

At the same time, a service took place at a Field of Poppies, which had been handmade before being planted by the Forest Community Centre in Bordon.

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Primary schoolchildren had been invited to plant crosses at the memorial.

The service was conducted by the Reverend Wendy Mallas, with a sermon from Whitehill and Blackmoor’s Priest in Charge the Reverend Dom Clarke from Blackmoor’s St Matthew’s Church.

Council representatives, including Whitehill mayor David Cooper, placed poppy wreaths at the base of the memorial, in Camp Road, to pay tribute to all those who died in the First and Second world wars and in every conflict since then.

“It was a lovely service,” Hampshire county councillor Adam Carew said.

“The Army Garrison may have gone but we are very proud of our military connections here in Whitehill and Bordon and there was a strong turnout.

“The ground may have been cold and damp but we could not have hoped for better weather.

“The sun shone on our special Armistice service and I have never seen so many poppies and wreaths.

“I was privileged to be asked again to read out the roll of honour of our fallen dead and our mayor David Cooper, who led the readings, did us proud.

“Our town’s commemorations were supported by East Hampshire District Council chairman David Ashcroft, who joined us in laying a wreath on behalf of the authority.

“Once again we owe a huge debt of gratitude to stalwart Steve Johnson and the Royal British Legion for all their hard work. Without all their hard work over the years none of this would have been possible.

“Thanks too to The Phoenix Theatre; the Whitehill and Bordon Town Partnership; the town council; the Ministry of Defence Longmoor; the cadets; the emergency services; our schools and our two amazing tea servers, Helen Payne and Davina Hudson, for once again providing the very welcome warming cups of tea and coffee afterwards.”

Also last Friday morning a Field of Poppies was laid near the Forest Community Centre in Bordon.

Volunteers met to plant the 2,000 poppies that had been made by local groups.

This was followed by a short service and then by the two-minute silence.

“The site looks sad today but nonetheless moving and emotive,” said Michael Rutland, from the Forest Community Centre, who was instrumental in the Field of Poppies project.

“Whether in the shape of a poppy, or any other flower, it is nature’s constant cycle of rejuvenation, from death to life again, which makes it such an important element in the act of remembrance, where this cycle serves to underline the fact that life goes on.

“For the poppy to succeed as a symbol of remembrance, it is important that it is clearly seen to be a symbol of renewal and hope.”

Armistice Day falls each year on November 11 to mark the day in 1918 when the First World War’s fighting stopped.

The silence began at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month - this was the time in 1918 when the gunfire ended along the Western Front in Europe.

* A banner advertising the town’s Remembrance Service has gone missing. It was in place on railings at the Forest Community Centre and may have be taken in error.

Anyone who knows its whereabouts is asked to contact Steve Johnson on 01420 472555.