Remembrance services will take place across the Harrogate district to honour the fallen.
We’ve collated a list of the services across the district that are being held.
You can email contact@thestrayferret.co.uk if you know of others to add.
Ripon
Thursday, November 9.
Ripon Community Poppy Project will hold a concert of remembrance at Ripon Cathedral.
Ripon City Band, The Dishforth Military Wives Choir and Brackenfield School will all perform.
The event will begin at 7pm and tickets cost £13.50.
Sunday, November 12.
A service will be held in Ripon Spa Gardens from 10.45am. It will include two minutes’ silence and the laying of wreaths, followed by the usual parade.
A civic service of remembrance will then be held in Ripon Cathedral from 11.40am – 1pm.
The Right Reverend Anna Eltringham, Bishop of Ripon, will lead the service.
Harrogate
St Peter’s Church — Friday, November 10
The Festival of Remembrance will be held at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, as part of the Cenotaph Centenary.
The Harrogate Band and The Fishers Singers will perform at the event, which will be led by Harry Satloka of Harrogate’s Free Walking Tours.
There will also be presentations and poetry, as well as a remembrance service.
Tickets cost £10 and all proceeds will go to the Royal British Legion.
It begins at 8pm.
St Wilfrid’s Church — Saturday, November 11
A two-minute silence will held be at 11am at St Wilfrid’s Church on Duchy Road.
This will be followed by a talk on the men named on the church’s WWI memorials, as well as an exhibition in their honour which is on display.
Email bookings@stwilfrid.org to reserve a place.
Town centre – Sunday, November 12
The annual Harrogate Remembrance Day parade and service will be held at the cenotaph war memorial.
People can arrive from 10am. The service will begin at around 10.50am, followed by the two-minute silence at 11am.
After that, the Reveille and wreath laying will commence.
The Kohima Epitaph will be read before the march-past begins.
St Peter’s Church — Sunday, November 12
A Remembrance service with a choir will be held at St Peter’s Church, on Cambridge Road, just after the cenotaph service.
It will begin at approximately 11.15am.
Starbeck – Sunday, November 12
A two-minute silence will be observed at 11am at the war memorial on Starbeck High Street. Wreaths will be laid.
Later, at 3pm, the Starbeck Remembrance Ceremony will take place at the cenotaph on Starbeck High Street.
It will be led by the Harrogate branch of the Royal British Legion, with a parade by local uniformed organisations.
Harrogate and Knaresborough MP Andrew Jones will attend the service, and readings will be led by the church and pupils of Starbeck Primary Academy.
Stonefall Commonwealth War Graves Cemetery – Sunday, November 12
A service starting at 1pm will include prayers, music from the Harrogate Band, a short talk by Reverend David Hoskins and a two-minute silence. Also, wreaths will be laid by community leaders and representatives of British and allied forces, and students from Ashville College and Harrogate’s Army Foundation College will lay flowers on each grave.
West Park Church — Sunday, November 12
A service will be held at the church, including an act of remembrance, from 10.30am.
It will be led by Reverend David Hughes.
Another service will be held at 3.30pm to mark the end of the More Than a Name on a Memorial exhibition.
Knaresborough
Sunday, November 12
The commemorations will begin with a service at St John’s Church from 9.30am.
A parade from the church to the war memorial in the castle grounds will follow.
There will be a two-minute silence at 11am, followed by a service of remembrance at the memorial.
Nidderdale and Pateley Bridge
Saturday, November 11.
The annual Armistice Day service and parade takes place at the war memorial from 10am. Those attending will include a representative of the lord-lieutenant’s office, a platoon of troops from the Army Foundation College in Harrogate, local dignitaries and community organisations and schools etc.
It is organised by the Nidderdale branch of the Royal British Legion and The Church in The Dale.
Sunday, November 12
10am Joint Service of Remembrance at Holy Trinity, Dacre Banks with a collection for the Royal British Legion.
11am Act of Remembrance at Summerbridge War Memorial, followed by refreshments at Summerbridge Methodist Church.
2pm Remembrance Concert and Service at Darley Memorial Hall
6pm The Royal British Legion Service of Remembrance at St Mary the Virgin, Greenhow Hill. Led by the Reverend Darryl Hall, there will be a two-minute silence, a sermon by Jane Spooner and music from Nidd Chorale.
Boroughbridge
Sunday, November 12.
A remembrance service and parade will be held at St James’s Church in Boroughbridge.
It will begin at 10am.
Masham
Friday, November 10.
A remembrance service will be held for locals and pupils of Masham School at St Mary’s Church from 10.45am.
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Harrogate poppy appeal seeks volunteers
The Harrogate branch of the Royal British Legion has issued a plea for volunteers to help with this year’s appeal.
Chairman Mike Comerford said the branch needed six to eight people to distribute poppies and collection tins as well as to take part in street collections.
Poppies were due to start going up in Harrogate today ahead of Remembrance Sunday on November 12. Ripon already has a magnificent display.
Mr Comerford said there was a shortage of volunteers this year because some regular helpers were either too old or unwell to give as much time.
He said volunteers who could drive were required from tomorrow (Tuesday) to distribute the poppies and collection tins on prescribed routes.
Street collections begin on Saturday (October 28) but shops can sell poppies before then.
Six hundred boxes, each containing 150 poppies, are distributed as part of Harrogate’s poppy appeal.
The poppy appeal provides support for members of the Royal Navy, British Army, Royal Air Force, veterans and their families.
The town raised about £50,000 of the £48 million generated nationally by the Royal British Legion last year.
Anyone interested in helping can call Mr Comerford on 07954125891 or email him at mike.comerford@ntlworld.com.
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North Yorkshire Police confirms it will no longer manage Remembrance Day traffic
North Yorkshire Police has confirmed it will no longer close roads or manage traffic for Remembrance Day parades in North Yorkshire.
Knaresborough Royal British Legion revealed yesterday its annual parade was in jeopardy after police said they would no longer support it.
Vice-chair David Houlgate said the decision “almost certainly means there will be no Remembrance Day parade in Knaresborough as things currently stand” because the legion, as a charity, could not justify the cost incurred by managing traffic itself.
The force said today the ruling applied throughout the county and would enable it to focus on fighting crime.
In a joint letter from North Yorkshire Police and highways authority North Yorkshire Council, assistant chief constable Elliot Foskett said the new arrangements would “be in place for 2023 and beyond”.
The letter, sent to branches of the Royal British Legion, added:
“For many years, North Yorkshire Police has continued to provide a traffic management function to smaller Remembrance Day events like the one held in your community.
“In line with the legislation, the National Police Chiefs’ Council and the College of Policing have stressed that policing should not take responsibility for closing roads or managing traffic, other than in an emergency.
“This is to make sure police resources remain focused on tackling crime and anti-social behaviour.
“With immediate effect, North Yorkshire Police has repositioned to fully comply and will not be undertaking routine traffic management for any Remembrance Day events in 2023 and in subsequent years.”
Extra costs
The letter said organisations will now need a temporary traffic regulation order from North Yorkshire Council and will have to appoint “suitably qualified persons to implement associated traffic management i.e. signs and barriers etc”.
Those British legion branches affected now have to decide whether to go down this route or re-route or cancel parades.
Mike Comerford, chairman of the Harrogate Victory branch of the Royal British Legion said the police had not provided traffic management for its parade for many years.
Mr Comerford said the service had been provided recently by Harrogate Borough Council, which was abolished at the end of March, and he would contact the successor authority, North Yorkshire Council, to see if this arrangement remained in place.
Ripon’s Remembrance Sunday parade is managed by members of the armed forces.
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Poppies to adorn Knaresborough castle again
Knitted poppies will be put on Knaresborough castle on Friday as the town prepares for Remembrance Sunday.
Decorating the castle with poppies has become an annual occurrence since it was first done to mark the 100th anniversary of the armistice.
Brenda Pitchfork, a member of the town’s branch of the Royal British Legion, has been at the forefront of efforts.
Ms Pitchfork’s work was recognised recently when she received Knaresborough Town Council‘s 2022 community award on behalf of the Legion from outgoing town mayor Christine Willoughby.
The Knaresborough branch of Royal British Legion with their community award.
This year’s Poppy Appeal will begin in the town on Monday and there will be a fundraising stall at Knaresborough market on November 2.
David Houlgate, vice-chair of the Knaresborough branch of the Royal British Legion, said this year’s appeal aimed to exceed the £31,000 raised last year.
Volunteer collectors are still needed for the three main collection points at Lidl, Aldi and M&S Food. If you can help, call 07984700429.
Read more:
- Knitted poppies start to be put up around Harrogate’s war memorial
- Firefighters put up poppies as Ripon prepares for services of Remembrance
Knitted poppies start to be put up around Harrogate’s war memorial
In the bright morning sunshine, two Harrogate Borough Council workers and their friend started putting up the annual knitted poppy display outside Bettys, ready for Remembrance Sunday.
Frank McCann and Michael McElhinney both work as as civic attendants — but today have been putting up the poppies display with volunteer, Lindon Wallace.
Mr McCann told the Stray Ferret:
“The poppies have all been hand knitted by thoughtful volunteers in Harrogate and we’ll put them all around the war memorial.
“It reminds people of the sacrifice made and on a beautiful day like this it really adds a splash of colour and interest.”
On the pavement there are bin liners full of the handmade poppies. The men have no idea how many poppies there are — they have 500 ties so Mr McCann said hundreds, maybe thousands, will be put up in the coming days.
Mr McCann added:
“It’s been very noticeable over the last few years that there’s been an increasing interest in this. Ever since the 100th anniversary of the First World War — it brought people’s mind back into focus.
“As another part of my role, I will be up at the war graves at the crematorium. Young people are buried there — a lot from Canada. Something like that hits home. They were really little kids who died all those years ago.”
The Royal British Legion will formally launch its Poppy Appeal on Thursday. To donate click here.
Remembrance Sunday is on November 13.
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