Remembrance events to conclude this year's Poppy Appeal

Saturday 11 November 2023

Poppies, pensioners and a parade of vintage cars are among the features of a weekend of remembrance in Jersey.

The island will fall silent at 11:00 today for Armistice Day – marked on the 11th day of the 11th month – and once again tomorrow for Remembrance Sunday.

A range of events have taken place during this week as part of the annual Poppy Appeal carried out by the local branch of the Royal British Legion.

A Poppy Shop has been in operation all week at 26 Halkett Place, and will open for the last time between 10:00 and 16:00 today.

Elsewhere in St Helier, a two-minute silence will be observed at the Cenotaph today to mark Armistice Day, and also in the Royal Square where a collection of vintage jaguars will be on parade between 10:30 and 15:00.

One of the biggest events of the week is tonight’s Festival of Remembrance at St Thomas’ Church, where doors will open at 19:30 ahead of 20:00 start.

Remembrance Sunday will be marked at parish cenotaphs across the island, with attendees gathering between 10:30 and 10:45, ahead of the 11:00 silence.

A trio of Chelsea pensioners have been helping with fundraising, as well as attending a series of events to mark the contribution of the Armed Forces and remember those who died in service.

Phil Carr, who served with the Royal Artillery in Northern Ireland and is visiting Jersey for the first time, said he had been impressed with the support from those he'd met.

"The spirit of the Poppy Appeal is very much alive and kicking in Jersey," he said.

"If anything people here seem to have a greater awareness [than in the UK] – they've been very hospitable and we've had people of all generations coming to speak to us and showing an interest."

Mr Carr was joined by colleagues Alan Gill, who served with the Royal Electrical and Mechanical Engineers in Iraq, and John Cole, who was stationed in Northern Ireland with the Royal Signals, and also served in Singapore during the Indonesia-Malaysia confrontation in the 1960s.

Around 280 veterans live at the Royal Hospital in Chelsea, south-west London, which was founded in 1692 – around 230 years prior to poppies first being worn as a mark of remembrance.

Pictured top (left to right): Visiting Chelsea Pensioners Phil Carr, John Cole and Alan Gill have been heavily involved in this week's Remembrance events.