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    06

    Oct 2022

    Last Updated: 06/10/2022
    Community
    Community

    Starbeck to have two Remembrance Sunday events amid time disagreement

    by John Plummer

    | 06 Oct, 2022
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    Starbeck traditionally has a 3pm service to allow people to attend the parade in Harrogate town centre — but some feel it should remember the dead at 11am.

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    Starbeck is to have two Remembrance Sunday events this year at 11am and 3pm amid a disagreement over the best time to honour the war dead.

    A remembrance service traditionally takes place at 3pm at the war memorial on Starbeck High Street.

    The afternoon time enables local veterans, dignitaries and anyone else wishing to pay their respects to do so first at the large morning parade in Harrogate town centre.

    But some people feel Starbeck should follow the rest of the country by honouring the fallen at 11am.

    Last year some residents observed a two-minute silence at the war memorial at 11am — and they intend to do so again this year, even though the afternoon service will go ahead as usual.

    Starbeck Residents Association has taken over the running of the afternoon service and lead organiser Andy Dennis said this year's event, on November 13, would be Starbeck's official event marking Remembrance Sunday. He said:

    "I want to be clear with this, as a local group held an unofficial service at 11am last year and this poorly attended event was projected in some quarters as the community's response to remembrance.
    "The 3pm service is always well supported by the community, it is held at this time to allow dignitaries such as the MP and councillors to attend the Harrogate service at 11am and the the Starbeck service later."





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    Starbeck resident Lucky Hubbard said she was one of about 30 people who observed last year's 11am silence and she intends to do so again this year. Some, including herself, will attend both gatherings. She said:

    "I'm an ex-army wife so Remembrance Sunday has always been a big thing to me, and it's always been at 11am.
    "We are not saying don't go at 3pm — we just want to pay our respects at 11am."


    St Andrew's Church

    Ms Hubbard runs a Starbeck knitting group called Knitwits, which decorated local landmarks with poppies last year. This year it is knitting 2,000 poppies to go on the side of St Andrew's Church (pictured).

    She is also involved with a fundraising event for the Yorkshire Trench project on Saturday, November 12, as well as a veterans' breakfast after the Sunday morning two-minute silence.

    Some of those supporting the morning silence are involved with Starbeck Community Group, which has had an uneasy relationship with Starbeck Residents Association in recent years.

    Ms Hubbard said:

    "It's a shame that this spat keeps rearing its ugly head."