Rotherham to fall silent for those who paid the ultimate sacrifice

On Sunday, the annual parade and service of remembrance will take place at Rotherham Minster.

Starting at 9.45am, the church service will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony and the two minutes’ silence at 11am at the war memorial in Clifton Park.

Led by the South Yorkshire Police Band, the parade will leave Effingham Street at 9.15am and will include the civic party led by the Mayor of Rotherham, Cllr Lyndsay Pitchley and featuring the Deputy Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Col C. J. Tattersall, the High Sheriff-in-nomination, Stephen Ingram, the Deputy Mayor, Cllr Eve Rose Keenan, Rotherham Borough Council’s chief executive, Sharon Kemp, council leader Cllr Chris Read and MPs John Healey and Sarah Champion.  

The parade will also include representatives of the Royal British Legion and other local armed forces organisations, cadets and uniformed services.

The service will be conducted by the Vicar of Rotherham, Canon David Bliss, and will be followed by an 11am service of remembrance and wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial. 

The event will conclude with a march-past of Rotherham Town Hall, with the Mayor and the Deputy Lord Lieutenant taking the salute.

On Armistice Day today, an Act of Remembrance will take place at 11am in All Saints’ Square, Rotherham, led by Canon Bliss and the Royal British Legion.

The Rotherham branch of the Fellowship of the Services will gather at 10.30am today for a small parade followed by an Act of Remembrance at 11am at the war memorial in Clifton Park.

Pupils from seven primary schools will be present for a wreath-laying, two minutes’ silence and a service led by Rev Abi Thompson.

There will also be a service of remembrance at Dalton Parish Hall from 3pm on Sunday.

Remembrance events will also take place across the Dearne and Don Valleys.

Parades or services will be held in Mexborough, Swinton, Wath, Conisbrough, Denaby and other villages on Remembrance Sunday.

In Mexborough, the parade will form up on the Mexborough Police Station Car Park, in Adwick Road, to leave at 10.15am along Doncaster Road, towards Castle Hills Park and the war memorial, ready for the service to commence at 10.50am. 

Members of the public are asked to be in place well before that time.  

The Deputy Lord Lieutenant of South Yorkshire will be present.

Royal British Legion poppy organiser Pam Chambers will be at Mexborough Police Station at 9.30am for people to collect their wreaths for the ceremony.

In Swinton, a service will take place at St Margaret’s Church at 10am prior to a march towards the nearby war memorial for a minute’s silence at 11am.

Kilnhurst’s commemorations involve a service at St Thomas’s Church at 10am before a tribute at the nearby memorial at 11am.

Wath’s parade will form up outside the Burlington Club for a march to begin at 9.30am towards All Saints’ Church for a service at 10am.

The act of Remembrance will take place at 11am at the side of the church.

Barnsley will mark Armistice Day on Friday with two minutes’ silence led by the Mayor of Barnsley, Cllr Linda Burgess, at the war memorial in front of the town hall at 11am today.

Members of the Royal British Legion, representatives from service and veterans’ organisations and children including all pupils of Summer Lane Primary will also attend. The public is welcome to join them.

After a bugler has marked the act of remembrance, the children will lay their own poppy wreaths.

On Sunday, also at the war memorial, the Mayor will lead a service of remembrance, when she will be joined by the Lord-Lieutenant of South Yorkshire, Andrew Coombe, the Freemen and women of the borough, local MPs and other dignitaries.

After the laying of wreaths, there will be a service to commemorate those who gave their lives during the First and Second World Wars. 

The service will be led by Canon Reverend Stephen Race, parish priest for St Mary’s the Virgin Church.

At the conclusion of the service those taking part in the parade, representatives from service organisations, including the Yorkshire Regiment, veterans, cadets, scouts and St John Ambulance Brigade will take part in a march past the town hall, with the Mayor and the Lord-Lieutenant taking the salute.

Denaby Main’s commemorations include a church service at All Saints’ Church tomorrow from 10.15am followed by a wreath-laying service at the war memorial in the flower park.

Conisbrough’s Remembrance Sunday service begins at 9.30am at St Peter’s Church, after which a parade will leave High Street at 10.40am and head to the town’s war memorial for two minutes’ silence and a wreath-laying.