Armistice Day: Shropshire's towns and villages come to a standstill to remember the fallen
Towns and villages, streets and supermarkets fell silent at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month as people paid their respects in acts of Remembrance across Shropshire and mid Wales.
With ceremonial parades and services mainly planned on Sunday there were smaller but still poignant events on Saturday.
Organisers of the Ellesmere November 11 commemoration said they had never seen so many people congregate at The Cross in the town for the short act of Remembrance including a traditional reading from the poem For the Fallen and the bugling of The Last Post.
Military veterans stood alongside young families, shoppers and civic dignitaries as The Last Post was played by Becky Cooper and 23-year-old former cadet and standard-bearer Callum Jones lowered a flag.
Among those attending was Ian Williams, the Shropshire chairman of the Royal British Legion.
"I have never seen so many people at the November 11 act of Remembrance in Ellesmere," he said.
"We also have our main parade on Sunday, always well attended."
He said across Shropshire the Legion's poppy collection was doing exceptionally well.
"As of this morning we are about £12,000 up on last year and we have this weekend collecting still. I must thank everyone who is involved in raising the much-needed funds for the Royal British Legion."
Bob McBride, who heads the Ellesmere RBL and the town's poppy appeal organiser, Caroline Ford, said it was wonderful to see people donating during the continuing time of austerity.
"Every penny helps the continuing, vital work of the legion," Mr McBride said.
"We have a QR code to scan and card machines and that has certainly helped people to donate," Mrs Ford said.
In Ellesmere's Tesco, the tills closed down for two minutes and shoppers were asked to observe the silence.
