Shropshire Star

Shropshire and Mid Wales fall silent again for Armistice Day

Shropshire and Mid Wales fell silent again today, joining the rest of the country to mark Armistice Day.

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Poppies at the Remembrance Sunday service in Shrewsbury

The eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month was marked with a two-minute silence.

Shopping centres, schools and businesses across the region fell silent to mark the moment the First World War came to an end, 101 years ago.

It followed Remembrance Sunday services and parades across the region yesterday.

At Wellington's Plough Inn, staff and volunteers have pulled out all the stops to mark Remembrance Day. The watering hole hosts fundraising activities all year round in aid of military veterans.

This year the team have covered the interior of the King Street pub with poppy theme decorations.

Inside Wellington's Plough Inn
Inside Wellington's Plough Inn
Inside Wellington's Plough Inn
Inside Wellington's Plough Inn
Inside Wellington's Plough Inn

Jim Hunter, of the fundraising committee says: "We decorate the pub every year, but its gets bigger and bigger every year. We put the sandbags round the windows and decorated them with poppies. We get the templates and cut them out and even customers help to to cut them out will they're here sipping drinks.

"We collect the old wreaths from All Saints Church and recycle those by putting them in here instead.

"It's been a good effort this year. We also keep a bucket collection in the run up the November 11 for the Royal British Legion which has raised £35.

"The members from the Wellington branch came in after the parade and had refreshments."

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Prime Minister Boris Johnson laid a wreath during a service at the cenotaph in St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton as the nation fell silent to honour those who died in war.

It is now 100 years since the first two-minute silence was observed on Armistice Day, November 11 1919.

Armistice Day 2019
Prime Minister Boris Johnson lays a wreath during a service at the cenotaph in St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton, to mark Armistice Day (Stefan Rousseau/PA)

Mr Johnson laid a wreath and spoke to a veteran during a service at the cenotaph in St Peter’s Square, Wolverhampton.

Labour Party leader Jeremy Corbyn and shadow foreign secretary Emily Thornberry attended a service outside Islington Town Hall, north London.

Armistice Day 2019
Emily Thornberry (centre left) and Jeremy Corbyn (second right), observe a silence to mark Armistice Day ( Jonathan Brady/PA)

Brexit Party leader Nigel Farage was among those who marked the occasion at Hartlepool War Memorial.

The Royal British Legion asked that people pause by muting their telephones, closing laptops, switching off television sets “for just two minutes and pay your respects to our Armed Forces community, past and present”.

Armistice Day 2019
Nigel Farage attended the Hartlepool War Memorial commemoration (Owen Humphreys/PA)

It is a time to honour those “who serve to defend our freedoms and way of life”, said the RBL.

They said the sacrifice of the Armed Forces community from Britain and the Commonwealth are brought to mind while the innocent civilians who have lost their lives in conflict and acts of terrorism are also not forgotten.

It also serves as a tribute to the special contribution of families and of the emergency services.