COUNCILLORS and the Royal British Legion were able to host a commemoration service the day before national lockdown measures came in this month.

The Burnham-on-Crouch Remembrance service was affected by last-minute changes due to new Covid restrictions.

However, the town council and the Royal British Legion were able to host the commemoration on November 4 at the Parish Church of St Mary the Virgin.

The service was then recorded and uploaded to Youtube on Remembrance Sunday at 11am.

Five members of the Burnham branch met with the Branch Chaplain and the Town Mayor Ron Pratt in the church.

The Branch standard bearer was present and the chaplain opened the service with a Bidding Prayer followed by the Standard, the Mayor, the Branch Chairman and the Chaplain processing to the two war memorials on the North wall of the church.

The exhortation was said, followed by the Last Post, The Silence, Reveille and the Kohima Epitaph, the Mayor placed a wreath under the memorial to the Fallen of the Great War, and the Chairman placed his under the Second World War Memorial.

All the poppy wreaths presented by organisations and Individuals in the area had previously been brought into the church and had been placed on and in front of the altar, these were now blessed by the Chaplain.

A solo of I Vow to Thee my Country was sung and the Mayor read the poem In Flanders Fields.

The Chaplain gave a short address and led the prayers, which was followed by the playing of the National Anthem.

The service concluded with the Blessing from the Chaplain.

The wreaths will be taken from St Marys and placed round the Town War Memorial on the Quay between Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day.

To watch the service, visit https://youtu.be/KrPgObRTOS.