Remembering our local heroes who gave their lives to protect ours

Over the weekend, I joined people in Peterborough to honour our armed forces heroes, past and present. 

And as we solemnly marked their sacrifices yesterday on Armistice Day, this time of year is an important moment for all of us to step aside from our busy lives, pause and reflect. As is tradition for me, I began paying my respects in Walton, joining local volunteers to put up lamppost poppies. It may seem a small gesture, but these displays mean a great deal to people affected by war and is another sign of how the city honours its own.  

In almost every community I visit, I meet people whose family history and lives have been touched by the First and Second World Wars or more recent conflicts, including the Falklands War, the Gulf War, the Iraq War, the war in Afghanistan, and those continuing around the world. They include not only those who served, but also the families left behind. Remembrance can mean more to them than we realise and is why I like to get out into those communities and pay my respects.  

I began Remembrance Sunday alongside the Vicar of Peterborough, the Royal British Legion (RBL) and hundreds of people at the city’s war memorial. We gathered to remember and thank those who continue to bear the consequences of serving our country through bereavement, disability and pain. Their service deserves our gratitude every day, not just on one Sunday each year.

Alongside the His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of Cambridgeshire, Julie Spence, I was honoured to observe a moment’s silence and lay a wreath at the memorial. After prayers and thanks, the procession departed for services at St John’s Church and the Cathedral. The Salvation Army followed closely with a military contingent, which met us at Cathedral Square.  

After the cathedral service, the civic procession led us back to the Town Hall, where I was honoured to unveil a poppy wreath in memory of council officers who lost their lives in war. The Lord-Lieutenant, the president of the RBL, and I then took the salute from the military parade, bringing a thought-provoking morning to a close. 

On Armistice Day I continued to pay my respects, speaking with people in our communities affected by conflict and sharing the importance of remembering those who have fallen. 

It is also important to recognise and thank those who join our armed forces. Those serving in the Army, Navy and Air Force, including reservists, make a profound difference to our lives. I have great respect for everyone who steps forward to protect our country.  

I often hear and read about those from our city who made the ultimate sacrifice, but this has been a moment for us all to come together and pay our respects.  

We owe them our freedom. We will remember them.