The Reverend Philip Hobday of Earley St Peter’s Church writes
“This weekend, we will mark Remembrance Sunday, when we give thanks for the courage and sacrifice of all those who have fought and died in the service of their country. At Earley St Peter’s, the site of Earley’s War Memorial, the annual Act of Remembrance is a focus of our community’s commemoration. We commemorate those particularly from this community who died in the two World Wars and in conflicts since, and pray for victims of conflict around the world.
Given the current restrictions, after talking with the local authority as well as other organisations involved, we have taken the difficult decision to cancel this Sunday’s service.
However, the key parts of the annual Act of Remembrance – including the Two Minutes’ Silence, the Last Post, Reveille, and the laying of wreaths – will be filmed or photographed in advance. You will be able to watch the Act of Remembrance on Sunday from 10am on Facebook and YouTube (you do not need to have Facebook or YouTube accounts for this).
We are very sorry about this and we will work with others in the community to commemorate Remembrance Sunday in 2021 in a more fitting way. As well as watching our Remembrance Service and / or marking the Silence in our homes, people may wish to consider donating to the Poppy Appeal or another charity working with ex-service personnel.
We continue to pray daily for our community and to work with other local churches to provide practical support to those in need through the Earley Help Hub. We know this is a difficult time for many in our community. Please do be in touch with us on 0118 966 8575 or via Facebook or our website if we can be of any help or if you have any questions.”