Revised plans to mark this year’s Remembrance Sunday (Sunday 8 November) in line with the new national lockdown restrictions have been announced.
The traditional wreath laying and two-minute silence at Victoria Embankment will not proceed this year due to the potential numbers attending – usually several thousand people – and the need to avoid large gatherings.
In its place, Notts TV will broadcast a special Service of Remembrance. This will come live from St Mary’s Church. The service will be led by the Vicar of St Mary’s, Rev Tom Gillum and will feature a two-minute silence, and recorded hymns. There will be Nottingham focussed content, both live and pre-recorded.
The traditional Remembrance Sunday event at Victoria Embankment normally sees over 200 wreaths laid from organisations across the city. The revised plans will see eight wreaths laid by the Lord Mayor, Lord Lieutenant for Nottinghamshire, a representative of Nottingham MPs, the Army, Royal Air Force, and Navy. The South Notts Hussars which traditionally holds a service of remembrance at the church will also take part.
While no members of the public will be able to attend due to Government regulations, the service will be broadcast live throughout Nottingham and Nottinghamshire on Notts TV (Freeview channel 7, Virgin 159, in addition to an online catch up service) between 10.35-11.40am.
For those who wish to pay their respects in person on Sunday, large format projections of cascading poppies will be beamed on to the Victoria Embankment memorial. The projection will be visible on the evening of Sunday 8 November between dusk to 9pm, with members of the public able to view the projections in quiet contemplation, over a four-hour period in a safe socially distanced way.
The projections and accompanying background soundtrack provide a visually stunning, contemporary and moving way to mark Remembrance Sunday for all Nottingham residents.
Alongside this, schools across Nottinghamshire are invited to mark Remembrance Day by displaying images of poppies in their windows at home as well as sharing them on social media. Information on how to download poppy images is available here: https://www.poppyshop.org.uk/products/download-a-remembrance-poppy
Like so many things this year, the Poppy Appeal has had to adapt to the threat of Covid-19. The Royal British Legion is asking public to support like never before, because every poppy counts.
With some people unable to leave their homes as they normally would to find a poppy, and with many of the charity’s collectors unable to carry out face to face collections, there is a range of new ways for people to show their support remotely.
Cllr David Mellen, Leader of Nottingham City Council said: “While times are challenging at present, it is important for Nottingham that we have the opportunity to remember those who sacrificed their lives in conflict and to pay our respects to them. It’s vital that we can do this in a safe and controlled way which sadly means it has not been possible to hold the Service of Remembrance at the Victoria Embankment.”
Cllr Rebecca Langton, Portfolio Holder for Communities, said: “We are proud to be working with a range of partners to provide tributes that will speak to people of all ages which they can access in a safe manner. Thanks to Notts TV providing the live broadcast of this important commemorative occasion, thousands of Nottingham residents can pay their respects at home. I am also looking forward to seeing the display of poppies in local windows.”
Channel manager Chris Breese from Notts TV said ‘We are really pleased to be able once again to partner with the City Council in a live outside broadcast of such an important annual civic occasion. Our live broadcast of the VJ Day commemorations in August attracted record audiences and we hope that our coverage of the Service of Remembrance will be a fitting way for Nottingham and Nottinghamshire residents to pay their respects this Sunday.”