North East falls silent for Armistice Day
Nov 12 2010 The Journal
THE North East fell silent yesterday as part of Armistice Day commemorations to honour the war dead.
Among the services was a gathering at Killingworth, North Tyneside, attended by the family of North Shields-born Rifleman Jonathon Allott, who died in Afghanistan in March.
The 19-year-old, who served with the 3rd Battalion The Rifles, went to Afghanistan in September last year to help clear the ground of improvised explosive devices but suffered fatal wounds after one of them exploded on March 5.
Yesterday a remembrance plaque was dedicated to the brave soldier at the Jigsaw Memorial.
Rifleman Allott’s father Michael, who attended the emotional service with his wife Gail and their eight-year-old daughter Nieve, said: “For us to have something like this is very special. Jonny was buried in Bournemouth so the memorial is somewhere up here that we can come to pay our respects. We’re very grateful to Bill Campbell of the Royal British Legion who organised this.
“Seeing comrades from the Rifles here today in their dress uniforms was very emotional and meant a lot to us. But at the same time it brought it all back. He should have been standing there with them.”
In Newcastle, members of the Navy, Army and Air Force Institutes (NAAFI), along with businesses from around the Quayside area, turned out to pay their respects to those who have lost their lives out on the battlefields.
The service also commemorated the wartime bravery and sacrifice of Tommy Brown, from North Shields, who in 1942 dived into the Mediterranean to help two colleagues retrieve vital enemy Enigma codes from a sinking German U-Boat. Captain the Reverend David R. Cummins, who conducted the service, said “It was a pleasure to lead people in their worship to thank those who have laid down their lives for their country, and of course those who still are today.”
Schools across the region held their own Remembrance Day services to honour injured and fallen soldiers.
Pupils from Western Community Primary School in Wallsend, North Tyneside, laid a special indoor field of poppies in honour of war heroes.
Headteacher Claire Johnson said: “This is an extremely important date in our national calendar and we feel it is vital to recognise it and ensure that the children fully appreciate the sacrifices made by men and women in the past, as well as acknowledge the work of our serving armed forces personnel around the world.”
Tomorrow, a Festival of Remembrance Concert will be held in Durham Cathedral tomorrow night to honour fallen heroes as part of the region’s Armistice Day celebrations.
The star of the show will be Washington schoolboy Mussa Ahmad, 10, who will read a poem he wrote about peace.
He said: “I thought peace was a good thing to write a poem about.
“I’m not really nervous at all. I read the poem at school and my friends told me they thought it was really good.”
Remembrance services on Sunday
NORTHUMBERLAND:
Acklington, St John the Divine, 10.30am.
Alnwick: St Michael’s Church, 2.30pm.
Amble and Radcliffe: Amble Town Square for wreath laying and a short service, 10.45am.
Ashington: Parade setting off from Royal British Legion’s HQ, North Seaton Road at 10.30am.
Bedlington: Salvation Army Hall, 2pm. Parade to Front Street War Memorial at 2.15pm. Service at 2.30pm.
Blyth: Parade from Market Place at 10.15am, passing cenotaph at 10.30 and Ridley Park at
Chevington: St John the Divine, 10.15am, followed by an Act of Remembrance at the War Memorial.
Cramlington: St Nicholas’ Church, 10am.
Hexham: The War Memorial, Beaumont Street, 10.15am.
Morpeth: Cenotaph, Newmarket. 10.35 am.
Newbiggin-by-the-Sea: Colliery memorial, 10:15am. March to Memorial Park for service at 11am
Ovington: Ovington Social Club, noon
Ponteland: Parade assembly at Ponteland Leisure Centre, 10.30am. Ceremony at the War Memorial at 11am.
Warkworth: St Lawrence Church, Dial Place, 9am.
NEWCASTLE:
City centre: City War Memorial at Old Eldon Square, 10.45 am.
NORTH TYNESIDE:
North Tyneside: Wallsend, The War Memorial, from 10.35am.
North Shields: Parade leaving Queen Alexandra Sixth Form College at 10.40 am.
Longbenton: War Memorial, St Bartholomew’s Church, Benton, service at 11am.
Whitley Bay: War Memorial, The Links. Parade leaving from the Royal British Legion Branch on Victoria Terrace, at 2.25pm.
GATESHEAD:
Town centre: Prince Consort Road, Cenotaph, service at 10.45am.
Birtley: Parade will leave the Birtley Community Centre, Ravensworth Road at 10:35am.
Blaydon: An ecumenical service will be held at the war memorial at bottom of Blaydon Cemetery at 12.00pm.
Chopwell: Cenotaph, remembrance service and wreath laying ceremony. Service begins at 11am.
Clara Vale: Assemble at Clara Vale Methodist Church at 10.30 am for 10.45 am, walk to the War Memorial for 11 am for a wreath-laying ceremony.
Crookhill: Assemble at the War Memorial in Stargate at 1pm for a wreath-laying ceremony and prayers.
Dunston: Assemble at St Nicholas Church at 10an for a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial, Dunston. Refreshments will be served afterwards in Church Hall.
Felling: A Communion Service will be held at St Mary’s Church at 9:30am.
High Spen: Holy Communion will begin at 9am at St Patrick’s Church.
Kibblesworth: A short wreath laying ceremony will commence at 10.45am.
Marley Hill: Assemble at St Cuthbert’s Church, Marley Hill for the service at 10:15.
Metrocentre: Assemble at Exhibition Square at 2.45pm for a Remembrance Service and wreath-laying ceremony to take place at 3pm.
Rowlands Gill: A memorial service will take place in St Barnabas Church at 10.30am, followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph, Rowlands Gill at 12pm.
Ryton: A Service of Holy Communion will be held at Holy Cross at 10am.
Swalwell: Assemble at the Holy Trinity Church, Hexham Old Road at 9am for Holy Communion followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at 10am.
Whickham: Assemble at Fellside Road, Whickham at 10.30am and proceed to the War Memorial.
SOUTH TYNESIDE:
South Shields: 10.15am Assemble rear courtyard at the Town Hall. 10.30am The parade marches up Westoe Road to War Memorial at Westoe.10.55am Service commences.
Jarrow: 10.15am Parade to assemble Jarrow Town Hall.
Hebburn: 9.30 am Assemble at Civic Offices, Hebburn.
Whitburn: 10.40 am Parade moves off from Whitburn Parish Church for Service at War Memorial.
Cleadon: 10.50 am Service at War Memorial, Cleadon Village.
East Boldon: 10.15 am. Assemble in Grey Horse Car Park. March to St George’s Church for Service and then re-assemble and march to War Memorial.
SUNDERLAND
City centre: War Memorial, Burdon Road, 10:15am
COUNTY DURHAM
Darlington: Holy Trinity Church, Woodland Road, service at 10am.
Durham: Durham Cathedral, service and wreath laying, 10.15am
Consett: Service at Christ Church at 9.30am, followed by the annual parade and wreath laying at 11.00am at the war memorial in the grounds of the council offices on Medomsley Road.
