Beautiful Remembrance Sunday display at Southwell Minster

As communities across the nation fell silent to mark Remembrance Sunday, Southwell offered its own beautiful tribute to the fallen.

Remembrance began at the Burgage war memorial in Southwell where several hundred residents had gathered alongside veterans to pay their respects

In a short ceremony prayers were read and wreaths were laid by representatives of the armed forces, public services, civic and local youth organisations.

Trumpeter Thomas Bonser sounded the Last Post as the bells of Southwell Minster tolled 11am, two minutes of impeccable silence followed.

Reveille then played to bring this quiet act of remembrance to a close.

The parade then formed up to march from the Burgage, down King Street and up Westgate to the minster for the next part of the town's service.

The Royal British Legion led the march, followed by veterans and servicemen, Army Cadets and various Scout, Cubs and Brownies groups.

As the parade arrived at the minster, groups made their way through the west door and formed up in a horseshoe shaped in the centre of the nave.

As the first hymn was being sung, Geoffrey Bond, Deputy Lieutenant of Nottinghamshire laid a wreath in the south transept at the Memorial Board.

The Very Rev Nicola Sullivan, Dean of Southwell, then led the service, greeting the public without restrictions for the first time in three years and talked about all that had happened in that time, including the pandemic, the war in Ukraine and the death of Queen Elizabeth II.

A reading was then taken by Robert Beckett, secretary of Southwell branch of the Royal British Legion, followed by a remembrance reflection written and read by Cadet Metcalfe of the Southwell Army Cadets.

Canon Richard Frith then addressed the congregation. He spoke of all those that had died in times of war as being individuals all worthy of individual respect and carefully walked around a mosaic made up of messages, poems and reflections written by school children and arranged to form a poppy.

In a beautiful, poignant, and reflective display of remembrance, poppy petals then began to fall gently from the ceiling of the nave as the angelic sound of In Paradisum was sung by the Minster choir.

More prayers were delivered by members of uniformed organisations and hymns sung before the Dean ended the service with a blessing.

The Dean then led the Deputy Lieutenant, Royal British Legion and uniformed organisations to the Memorial Gates of the Recreation Ground for the final part of the town's Act of Remembrance.

A wreath was laid at the gates as Andrew Gregory, chairman of Southwell branch of the Royal British Legion, delivered messages and paid tribute to the late Queen in the first Remembrance Sunday since her death.

The ceremonies then officially drew to a close as the minster bells played an arrangement of the National Anthem.