Bridport Remembrance 2020 Respects Both the Fallen and the Lockdown

Remembrance Sunday (8 November) in Bridport will have a very different look this year following the announcement of a nationwide lockdown.

A church service led by Bridport Team Ministry will be live streamed at 10am.  The Act of Remembrance – attended by the Mayor and a small number of civic dignitaries and armed forces representatives only – will also be streamed from 10.45am.  Both will be available via Bridport Town Council’s Facebook page at www.facebook.com/BridportTownCouncil or YouTube at https://youtu.be/WgsBA8mPLn4.  To minimise the risk of COVID-19 transmission, members of the public are asked not to attend in person.

On the afternoon of 8 November at 3pm, a secular Remembrance event, led by Cllr Anne Rickard, will take place virtually via Zoom at https://zoom.us/j/96969118256pwd=YXl0TExIK1Zod1cxeHlVMlhzUzh2Zz09.  This is an informal and open invitation to members of the community to share their thoughts and feelings in their own way in the form of poem, prose, song, or even just to listen.

Throughout the day on Sunday, a Remembrance video tribute will be available on the Town Council website at www.bridport-tc.gov.uk.

We are of course very sorry not to be able to proceed with a full Remembrance parade.  Following Saturday’s announcement of a second national lockdown, the Council had to make a quick decision on whether we could proceed, and at that time there was nothing to indicate an exception for parades.  Consequently we decided not to go ahead.  The updated Government guidance on Remembrance allowing parades (with restrictions) was issued too late for the Council to be sure we could accord with the COVID-19 safety requirements for such a large public event.  We hope however that the virtual alternatives will help to maintain the spirit of Remembrance, and that by next year we will be able to return to the full Remembrance Sunday events.

Will Austin
Town Clerk, Bridport Town Council
www.bridport-tc.gov.uk
Tel 01308 456722