Due to Covid restrictions, this year the usual Remembrance Sunday service on 8th November at St Paul’s Church will be invitation only, and strictly limited to 30 people.
Our Chairman Tim Prater has been invited and will be honoured to attend the service to represent the Parish Council, but that’s little consolation to all those who would normally taken some time together to remember on this day. We will do so again, but this year, we need to stay apart.
But staying apart does not mean we will forget. Sandgate will remember.
So – on Remembrance Sunday, 8th November, we are asking as many local residents as possible to go to our War Memorial: singly or in family groups, at the time of their choice.
There, there will be large sandboxes on the foot of the memorial for you to plant your poppy. Please take a couple of minutes out of your day – whenever you can – on Remembrance Sunday, to walk to the memorial, and leave your poppy, or if you wish flowers, or a wreath, in remembrance.
Be it alone, with your family, or on behalf of a small group – its up to you. A wreath will be laid by Councillors, and we know of other groups already planning to lay flowers. If there is already someone there, please wait a little way away or on the Village Green opposite until they have moved away. There is plenty of space and no rush.
There will be no Last Post, no timed silence, no service. Just, we hope, that all those in Sandgate who wish to do so take a few moments to go and plant their poppy. We will remember them.
Sandgate War Memorial is at the junction of Sandgate High Street and Military Road, across the road from the Village Green.
Poppies are already available from Sandgate Library (open 9.30-12 Monday, Tuesday, Thursday, Friday and Saturday) and from a number of the usual shops through until Remembrance Day.