YATE residents were invited to join representatives of Yate Town Council, St Mary’s Church and the Royal British Legion in the Act of Remembrance at St Mary’s Church on Sunday.

Over 250 people paraded from the Town Council office at Poole Court to St Mary’s Church in Yate. The procession was led by the Royal British Legion standard bearer, followed by the Mayor of Yate and the Chair of South Gloucestershire Council. The procession also included; town and South Gloucestershire councillors, chairs of local councils, a representative of the police, members of the army and air cadets, Cubs, Scouts, Brownies and Guides and representatives from a number of community organisations.  

Lord Lieutenant of Gloucestershire, Dame Janet Trotter, along with Lieutenant Colonel Andrew Tabor, High Sheriff of Gloucestershire, joined the gathering at St Mary’s Church.

Reverend Ian Wallace, who led the service along with Reverend Gail Thomas, welcomed the congregation of well over 350 people. During the service, accounts of local men who went to fight at Passchendale were given, along with a bible reading from the High Sheriff.

Following the service all moved to the Lych Gate for the Act of Remembrance and laying of wreaths.  A member of the Army Cadets read the list of names of those that died during World Wars 1 and 2, as listed on the Lych Gate Memorial and the Last Post was sounded by Air Cadet Connor Crane. Chris Boskett, Chair of the Yate and Sodbury Branch of the Royal British Legion read Robert Laurence Binyon's poem, For the Fallen.

A smaller group then moved onto the Parnall grave memorial in the church yard to remember those who died at the Parnall factory, Yate during raids 76 years ago. Mark Haslam represented Whirlpool UK Appliances Ltd (formerly the Parnall factory) and laid one of the wreaths in memory of those that died.