Star date: 26th October 2019

SALFORD WAR REMEMBRANCES FROM 2ND – 10TH NOVEMBER

This year, Salford is hosting war remembrance events between 2nd and 10th November, including the dedication of a Garden of Remembrance at the Salford Cenotaph on the Crescent, a service at Agecroft Cemetery, a Merchant Navy service and the traditional parade from Langworthy to the Salford Cenotaph.

Full details here...

Between 2nd and 10th November Salford will be hosting a number of war remembrance services which will be attended by the city's mayors, MPs and senior representatives from the Navy, Army, RAF, GMP, fire and ambulance services, Salford University, Salford Royal Hospital, veterans and their families.

On Saturday 2nd November at 11am there's to be the dedication of a Garden of Remembrance at the Salford Cenotaph at Albert Bentley Place on the Crescent... The Garden will be dedicated with prayers, the Last Post and Reveille sounded by a bugler, a one minute silence observed and wooden crosses planted by members of the public. Afterwards, refreshments will be available in the Old Fire Station.

On Saturday 9th November at 10:40am there's the Agecroft Cemetery Remembrance Service at the War Graves, the 'Blitz' Graves - where a prayer is said for civilians who lost their lives, especially those in Salford on the night of 22nd/23rd December 1940 during an air raid on Salford Royal Hospital – and the RAF Lancaster Crew Memorial – commemorating the 57,000 bomber command aircrew members killed during WW2, and the seven crew and two civilians killed when a Lancaster bomber crashed on the banks of the River Irwell on 30th July 1944.  

Also on Saturday 9th November at noon there's the Merchant Navy Remembrance Service at the Watersports Centre on Salford Quays, remembering sailors who died during wars.

On Sunday 10th November at 11am there's the Remembrance Sunday Service at the Salford Cenotaph on the Crescent, preceded by the traditional parade through Salford from the Ex-Service Social Club on Langworthy Road which sets off at 9:45am.

"I have lived in Salford for 15 years and when I retired decided to help several veterans' charities" says Owen Hammond, retired RAF Flight Lieutenant and Secretary of the Salford Veterans Network "I have seen for myself the effect of war on some of my friends and acquaintances. I have also seen the actions taken by kind and caring individuals to help alleviate this suffering. We must remember this appalling sacrifice. We must understand why it happened and how to prevent it happening again.

"Some people think we are 'glorifying' war" he adds "They could not be more wrong about the act of remembrance. The words engraved on the Cenotaph in Whitehall are 'To the Glorious Dead', not 'To The Glorious Battle of Trafalgar, Waterloo or El Alamein'..."