THE people of East Cambridgeshire are preparing to remember those who lost their lives in the service of their country.

In almost every town and village, there will be moments of silence at 11am on Friday, which is Armistice Day, and has the memorable date of 11/11/11.

And on Remembrance Sunday, church services will be held and poppy wreaths laid at memorials all around the district, as the dead of two world wars and more recent conflicts are honoured.

ELY

Friday November 11: A brief Service will be held at the War Memorial in High Street, Ely from 10.45am, followed by a two minute silence at 11.00am. This will be followed by wreath laying service. The High Street will be closed during this time.

Sunday November 13: At 10.00am, standards will parade from St Mary’s Green, via St Mary’s Street, Minster Place and the Gallery into Ely Cathedral. This will be followed by the Remembrance Service in the Cathedral.

Then, at approx. 11.30am, the standards and troops from Waterbeach will parade from the Cathedral via The Gallery, Minster Place, High Street and Market Place for a wreath laying service at the War Memorial. This will be followed at approx. 12.15pm by the Standards and Troops parading past the War Memorial and up the High Street. Appropriate roads will be closed during this period.

LITTLEPORT

Friday November 11: A short service and wreath laying ceremony will be held at the war memorial outside St George’s Church at 11am. Those attending will then move to the corner of Granby Street and Victoria Street, where a wreath will be layed at a memorial to railwayman James William Nightall, who was posthumously awarded the George Cross for the gallantry he showed during the Soham rail disaster.

Sunday November 13: A parade will leave the Working Men’s Club at Ponts Hill at 10am, ready for a united service at St George’s Church at 10.45am. Wreaths will be layed on the war memorial after the service.

SOHAM

Friday November 11: Residents and members of the Royal British Legion, with their standard, will gather at the war memorial for a two minutes silence at 11am.

Sunday November 13: USAF personnel from RAF Mildenhall will be part of the parade, forming up at Soham Village College at 2.15pm. The parade, led by Soham Comrades Band, will move to the war memorial for a wreath laying ceremony at 2.30pm. From the memorial, the parade will move to St Andrew’s Church for the town’s Remembrance service at 3pm.