Crowd gathers for Bedlington Remembrance Day service

Nov 15 2010 By The Journal

Remembrance Day parade and service at the War memorial in Bedlington

A CROWD of around 100 men and women, young and old, gathered around the war memorial in Bedlington for a remembrance service on Sunday.

The town’s Front Street saw the playing of a marching Salvation Army Band, alongside a parade of young men and women from the Air Training Corps’ Blyth and Bedlington squadrons, plus children from the area’s Guide and Scout movements.

Town clergy welcomed the gathered crowd to the service and led them in prayers for those who have died in two world wars and ongoing conflicts. The town centre then fell quiet for the act of remembrance, with two members of the Salvation Army band playing The Last Post before the two minutes’ silence.

Wreaths were laid, to a silent backdrop, by local dignitaries including the deputy Lord Lieutenant of Northumberland Lord Joicey of Etal, the mayor of Bedlington West Arthur Pegg and Wansbeck Labour MP Ian Lavery.

One of those laying a wreath was Joseph Riley, 87, who was a private in the Sixth Battalion Black Watch infantry.

Mr Riley, of Elenbel Avenue, Bedlington, suffered serious leg injuries, the scars of which are still visible today, while serving in Italy in June 1944. He said: “I would not like to be anywhere else. I like to do it really, you cannot forget being in the army.

“It is your mates and friends, I have got a cousin Tom Riley, he was an air gunner. He did about seven flights, he got blown down.

“Afghanistan has got people realising by seeing it on the television, they did not really realise what we went through, what it causes if you are killed.

“I know many lads on that monument.”

Parades were held throughout the region yesterday, with big turnouts in Hexham, Durham and Sunderland. In Newcastle, the sombre toll of bells at St Nicholas’ Cathedral marked the start of the city’s moving commemorations.