Armistice Day (November 11) and Remembrance Sunday are being marked with public commemorations around the island.
There had been uncertainty about how Douglas’s remembrance day events would be impacted by the promenade works around the war memorial, but the British Legion were assured that enough space would be cleared and work temporarily halted for an hour to allow for the traditional ceremony to go ahead both on Thursday and Sunday (November 14).
Last year’s ceremony was able to go ahead as normal because the promenade works had not yet reached the war memorial.
Today (November 11), there will be the normal assembly at the Gaiety Theatre for 10.30am which will then move to the war memorial for the laying of wreaths and the two minutes’ silence which will be marked by the firing of maroon rockets.
On Sunday, the normal remembrance service will be held at 10am at St Thomas’s Church.
The only difference this year is that instead of the traditional march along the promenade to the war memorial, people will simply make their way down.
Thursday’s ceremony will then be repeated at the memorial.
The Lieutenant Governor and British Army veteran Sir John Lorimer will be attending Thursday’s ceremony at the war memorial and Sunday’s church service.
On Sunday he will also attend the National Service of Remembrance at 3pm in St John’s, with a ceremony at the National War Memorial and a church service in the Royal Chapel afterwards.
Members of the pubic wishing to attend are asked to be seated no later than 2.45pm.
Below is a list of all the other major remembrance commemorations around the island.
CASTLETOWN
Today there will be an act of remembrance at the town’s war memorial in the Market Square at 11am.
The town’s Poppy Remembrance Concert will be held on Friday (November 12) at Victoria Road Primary School starting at 7.30 pm with doors opening at 7pm.
Admission is £2, with tickets available from Diane’s Gift Shop in Arbory Street Castletown, or on the door. Admission for children aged 16 years of age and under is free.
And for remembrance Sunday the service will be at 10am at Castletown Methodist Church, followed by wreath laying at the war memorial.
It will be preceded by a parade (which people can join) which will form up at the Civic Centre and depart at 9.40am, led by the Castletown Metropolitan Silver Band.
PORT ST MARY
Today a service will be held in the Garden of Remembrance (on Primrose Terrace) at 10.45am.
This will be preceded by a public parade leaving Scoill Phurt le Moirrey at 10.35am led by Rev Joe Heaton and Year 6 students.
PORT ERIN
Port Erin’s Royal British Legion is organising the remembrance Sunday events for all of Rushen parish.
The service will take place at Kirk Christ in Rushen.
A parade will organise at 10am the Legion’s Memorial Hall on Droghadfayle Road at 10am, and will leave at 10:15am to be led through Port Erin by the Rushen Silver Band.
It will arrive at the church at 10.45am.
ONCHAN
Today there will be a short service at Onchan War Memorial with a two minutes silence at 11am, marked by the firing of maroon rockets.
On Saturday (November 13) there will be a children’s poppies and cross laying event at 10.30am at the Garden of Remembrance in St Peter’s Church.
On Sunday, there will be another short service at the war memorial.
The remembrance service will take place at St Peter’s at 9.50am.
It will be preceded by a parade which will form up at 9.20am behind the Co-Op (on Elm Tree Road).
As it passes the war memorial, Lieutenant Governor will take the salute, alongside the chairman of the island’s RBL.
The service will be followed by a wreath laying ceremony and playing of the last post at the war memorial.
Refreshments will be served after at Onchan Methodist Church.
PEEL
Today there will be a remembrance service held at 11am in the memorial garden by Peel Hill (just above the West Quay bridge).
On Sunday, a parade will form up at the Market Place at 2.30pm, and proceed to the Cathedral for the service being held there at 3pm.
RAMSEY
Today, people will gather to observe the two minutes of silence at the town’s war memorial (near the courthouse) which will be marked by the firing of maroons at 11am.
On the Sunday, the town’s service of remembrance will also take place at the war memorial at 10.50am.
Following this a parade will form up and march through the town.
That evening the Ramsey British Legion will also hold a church service at 6.30pm in St Paul’s church.