Stoke Newington remembers the fallen

This Thursday Stoke Newington and the rest of Hackney remember Armistice Day.

Armistice Day is on November 11 every year. It commemorates the end of World War I on the 11th of November 1918. It was on this day that the Allies and Germany signed a ceasefire that was the beginning of the end of the Great War. Hostilities ended on the Western Front, taking effect at eleven o'clock in the morning.

This became famously known as "the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month".

Unfortunately you are all too aware that this has been followed by World War II, Iraq and Afghanistan to name a few. Armistice Day also know as Remembrance Day reminds communities and families of those men and women that have lost their life during conflict, with a two minute silence and wearing the Royal British Legion’s Poppy.

Remembrance Sunday was introduce in the late 30’s for the second Sunday in November, to ensure that the ceremony would never be missed and with the national event at the Cenotaph on Whitehall, millions watch the event and witness remaining servicemen and women joined by the Queen and other royalties to remember those not with us today.

With this national event, communities conduct many local ceremonies with the assistance of local branches of the Royal British Legion. Here in Stoke Newington the local ceremony will be held at Stoke Newington Library starting at 11.15am where members of the Royal British Legion will lay their wreaths. The Hackney Borough ceremony will once again take place at Hackney Town Hall starting at 10.30am with a parade to St John at Hackney Church on Lower Clapton Road E5, where a memorial service will take place.

For something different you can visit the Field of Remembrance. The Westminster Field is in the grounds of Westminster Abbey, Parliament Square, London SW1. HRH The Duke of Edinburgh will attend the opening of The Field of Remembrance at Westminster Abbey. It is open to visitors daily between 12 noon on Thursday November 11 until 4.00pm on Sunday November 21.

If anyone has lost a family member or friend during a conflict, please feel free to write any comments in the box below.