Where you can take part in community Remembrance Day Services in Blackpool, Fylde and Wyre.
Remembrance Day Services in WYRE
Wyre will commemorate the brave men and women who have fallen while serving their country, with remembrance events this year.
Fleetwood Memorial Park, Warrenhurst Road on Remembrance Sunday 9 November 2025. A parade assembles at The Kings Own Club, Adelaide Street at 10.00am with the full Parade assembling at the top of Warrenhurst Road at 10.30am.
Garstang on Remembrance Sunday 9 November 2025. The parade will assemble at 09.00 at the High Street car park
- Rolling procession (09.20 – 09.45)
- 09:25 Parade leaves car park onto High Street
- 09:35 Arrive St. Thomas’ Church
- Rolling procession (from 10.20) leading into Full Road closure at War Memorial Park Hill Road j/w Croston Road (10.20 – 11.30)
- 10:30 Service finishes, reform parade outside Church on Church St.
- 10:40 Parade from Church to the War Memorial at Park Hill Road j/w Croston Road
- Full Road closure at War Memorial at Park Hill Road j/w Croston Road (mini roundabout to be closed to traffic at 10.20)
- 10.50 Arrive War Memorial for Wreath Laying etc
- 11:30 Parade & Ceremony disbands
Poulton-le-Fylde on Remembrance Sunday 9 November 2025. There is a service at the War Memorial, Market Place. Those attending are asked to assemble at the Market Place at 10.45am.
Preesall on Remembrance Sunday 9 November 2025. A parade assembles on the playing field carpark at 1pm. The parade will move off at 1.15pm down Lancaster road to the cenotaph, for 1.30pm full service and wreath laying. The parade then moves off to St Oswald’s for a 2pm service, followed by refreshments in the church hall.
Thornton-Cleveleys on Remembrance Sunday 9 November 2025. There is a service at the Cenotaph, Four Lane Ends. Those attending are asked to assemble at the Thornton Little Theatre at 10.15am.
Saturday 8 November at Cleveleys
Join the community for a Remembrance Service at Poppy Corner, Victoria Road West. The service will be led by Rev Graham Young and wreaths will be laid. Gather at 10.30am for the service to begin at 10.45am. More details here.
Lest we Forget
- More about Fleetwood War Memorial and Memorial Park
- Thornton Cleveleys War Memorial
- Poppy Corner and Cleveleys War Memorials
- Poulton War Memorial
Remembrance Day Service in BLACKPOOL
Blackpool will pay its respects at a Remembrance Day service at Blackpool’s War Memorial this year.
There will be a two minutes silence, a service and wreath laying ceremony in memory of those who gave their lives in the service of their country, followed by a parade
From 10am on Sunday 9 November 2025 at the War Memorial near North Pier.
Timings
- 10.00-10.30am Parade contingents gather (invited and pre-registered groups only)
- 10.40am Civic procession from the Town Hall to the Cenotaph
- 10.55am Service commences
- 11.00am Two minute silence
- 11.05am Wreath laying by civic party, dignitaries, and parading contingents only
- 11.30am Service end and parade forms up
- 11.45am – Parade begins
- 12.15pm – Parade ends
These timing are approximations only, and may differ slightly on the day. Anyone wishing to lay a personal wreath, may do so at the Cenotaph once the service has ended.
Please note no vehicles, unless authorised, are permitted to park in and around the Cenotaph / surrounding promenade area – thank you for your cooperation.
Remembrance Day in FYLDE
Remembrance Sunday is a national opportunity to remember the service and sacrifice of all who have defended our freedoms and protected our way of life. Parades and gatherings take place once again across the Borough of Fylde on Sunday 10 November 2024. Communities will come together to mark these momentous occasions.
St Annes
Assemble at the Pier car park at 10:30am. The parade will proceed to the memorial in Ashton Gardens at 10:38am, led by Mayor of Fylde.
Lytham
Gather at the Assembly Rooms at 10:30am, with the procession departing at 10:45am. The civic party will be led by Deputy Mayor, Councillor Joanne Gardner.
Kirkham
Assemble on Orders Lane at 1:30pm and move off at 1:45pm. The Remembrance service will commence at the Cenotaph at 2:00pm, followed by refreshments at the Community Centre.
Wesham
Assemble at the War Memorial at 10:45am. A service of remembrance will be held, followed by refreshments at Wesham Community Centre.
Processions and services throughout the rest of the borough are organised by local town councils. Please contact them for details.
A two-minute silence will also take place on Monday 10 November to honour Armistice Day. The Mayor of Fylde will be attending at Ashton Gardens, the Deputy Mayor of Fylde will attend Lytham Cenotaph, and the Mayor of Kirkham will attend Kirkham Cenotaph.
- More about Lytham Memorial Garden and War Memorial
- St Annes Ashton Gardens and War Memorial
In the Fields of Flanders
Wearing their red poppies as they stand with heads bowed, those at the cenotaphs this Sunday will be thinking of the lives lost in war.
Remembrance Sunday is always the second Sunday in November. It commemorates the contribution of Commonwealth men and women – both military and civilian – who lost their lives in 2 world wars and numerous other conflicts that have taken place since, including those continuing to this day.
The red poppies we wear signify the poppies that grew over the graves of those who died in the worst fighting of WW1 which took place in the fields of Flanders. This was recorded in probably the best known and most often cited of war poems, ‘In Flanders Fields’, by Colonel John McCrae of the Canadian Armed Forces (below). McCrae was inspired to write the poem as he witnessed the death of his friend during the war.
We often refer to people having ‘given’ their lives in war and indeed many did. But others had no such intent when they became embroiled in the fighting. They did not give, they were denied their lives.
Armistice Day
Armistice is the word to describe when warring factions agree to put down their arms against each other and stop fighting. The Day was established and is celebrated by Commonwealth countries – to remember those who died in World War 1.
At 11:00 on the 11th day of the 11th month in 1918 hostilities ended. However, the war wasn’t officially over until the signing of the Treaty of Versailles, on June 28th 1919.
In 1897, Rudyard Kipling wrote a poem to mark the Diamond Jubilee of Queen Victoria. ‘Recessional’ (below) wasn’t the celebratory sound that everyone expected to hear at that time. It was a reminder of the perils of pride. Kipling’s work emphasised that imperial power would inevitably decline. The words we know from that work are the refrain – Lest We Forget.
The Night of Broken Glass
On the night of 09.11.1938, through to the morning of 10.11.38 an horrendous series of events took place in Germany and Austria. They were inextricably linked both with WW1 and WW11, and known as ‘Kristellnacht’ – the Night of Broken Glass.
Smarting from the loss of pride in their defeat of WW1, the German authorities sought to find a focus for their ill-humour. A gradual build-up of anti-semitic feeling placed blame for the economic difficulties they faced on the prospering Jewish population in Germany and annexed Austria. The Nazi party actively endorsed violent action against this substantial though minority group in their society. Synagogues and businesses owned by the Jewish community were systematically smashed. Broken glass littered the streets. It was the Night of Broken Glass.
But it wasn’t just glass that was broken – it was families and communities too. 91 Jewish people were killed on that night. It marked the beginning of the most horrendous phase of the Holocaust – The Final Solution – the systematic annihilation or mass murder, of 6 million European Jews.
- I million children. 2 million women. 3 million men.
- Lives taken, not given.
- Lest we forget.
In Flanders Fields
by Colonel John McCrae
In Flanders fields the poppies blow
Between the crosses, row on row,
That mark our place; and in the sky
The larks, still bravely singing, fly
Scarce heard amid the guns below.
We are the Dead. Short days ago
We lived, felt dawn, saw sunset glow,
Loved and were loved, and now we lie,
In Flanders fields.
Take up our quarrel with the foe:
To you from failing hands we throw
The torch; be yours to hold it high.
If ye break faith with us who die
We shall not sleep, though poppies grow
In Flanders fields.
Recessional
by Rudyard Kipling
God of our fathers, known of old—
Lord of our far-flung battle-line—
Beneath whose awful Hand we hold
Dominion over palm and pine—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!
The tumult and the shouting dies—
The captains and the kings depart—
Still stands Thine ancient sacrifice,
An humble and a contrite heart.
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!
Far-call’d our navies melt away—
On dune and headland sinks the fire—
Lo, all our pomp of yesterday
Is one with Nineveh and Tyre!
Judge of the Nations, spare us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!
If, drunk with sight of power, we loose
Wild tongues that have not Thee in awe—
Such boasting as the Gentiles use
Or lesser breeds without the Law—
Lord God of Hosts, be with us yet,
Lest we forget, lest we forget!
For heathen heart that puts her trust
In reeking tube and iron shard—
All valiant dust that builds on dust,
And guarding calls not Thee to guard—
For frantic boast and foolish word,
Thy Mercy on Thy People, Lord!
Did you Know?
Reader Sarah sent us a link to a South African military history blog with an interesting post which explains the origins of the two minutes silence on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.
The author, Peter Dickens, writes:
Did you know that the two minutes silence and its association to Armistice Day (11/11/11) or Remembrance Sunday has a South African origin?
The image in the link below – taken in 1942 – is a rare and unique one. South African serviceman and civilians stop what they’re doing in the middle of Cape Town. They stand to attention for two minutes silence – signalled as the noon day gun is fired. Not common today in Cape Town but a daily occurrence during war years. So how did this unique practice become a worldwide standard for remembrance?
Funnily it all started in Cape Town too. Read on and learn a little why South Africans should stand proud of what they have given the world; when on Remembrance Sunday and on Armistice day in November, the western world stands silent in remembrance for two minutes …
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