Thatcham Remembrance Sunday procession will go ahead - but public urged to stay at home

Remembrance events can be held during second lockdown

THATCHAM’S Remembrance Day procession is going ahead this weekend.

The Government has said that Remembrance events can go ahead, despite a second England-wide lockdown coming into force from yesterday (Thursday).

The events for Remembrance and Armistice Day can go ahead as long as they are held outside and socially distanced.

Discussing Thatcham’s procession at a meeting on Monday, events manager John Sackett said that Thames Valley Police had a senior officer assessing all Remembrance Day parades in West Berkshire.

He said: “We are awaiting their guidance in terms of the latest position and announcement from the Prime Minister. They are happy with the event plan we have put in place.”

Mr Sackett said: “We will be putting in place every single measure we can think of so that safety is paramount – we will be looking at that critically.”

Town mayor Mike Cole said that participants had been asked to wear facemasks and gloves alongside the social distancing between people marching and wreath layers.

Questions were asked about policing the event, should spectators turn up.

Simon Pike (Lib Dem, Thatcham West) said that lockdown had made the town council’s position easier in terms of spectators, as people are only meant to leave their homes for specific reasons.

But Mr Cole said: “It’s a free country still, we can’t stop people at gunpoint.”

Mr Sackett said that a police presence had been arranged.

The town council, along with others in the district, are encouraging residents to Remember From Home this year.

The town council will be live-streaming its service from 10.45am on Sunday, which can be viewed on its YouTube channel.

The town councils are asking people to pay their respects this year by printing off a poppy to colour in and place in their windows at home.

The Newbury Weekly News is joining the initiative and a poppy to colour in is available on page 14 of this week’s paper.

A template is also available in the Thatcham Town Council Newsletter which will be delivered to residents before November 8.

Mr Cole said he had been invited on October 31 to a service on Armistice Day inside St Mary’s Church.

But he added that the invite had been invalidated the next day by the Prime Minister’s announcement.

Places of worship will close in lockdown except for specific reasons, including funerals, individual prayer, and essential voluntary and public services, such as blood donation or food banks.

A field of knitted poppies to create a Remembrance display is taking shape, along with a place for painted poppy stones at the south end of the Broadway.

Mr Sackett said the display was going “extremely well”, with more than 1,000 poppies sent in.

He said: “In addition to that we have some pretty outstanding efforts from the Women’s Institute and one of the Guide/Brownie units of Thatcham.”