Armistice Day Ceremony

Armistice Day comes to Forbury Gardens War Memorial on Wednesday 11 November, where the Mayor of Reading, Cllr Paul Gittings, will lead the town's two-minute silence at 11am. It's a public event, so you can just turn up and stand with the rest of the town for those two minutes.

It's part of a wider set of commemorations across Reading. The other main date is Remembrance Sunday, 8 November, with a service at Reading Minster of St Mary the Virgin starting at 9.25am, followed by its own two-minute silence at 11am. That one is a bigger production: a parade through the town centre led by The Waterloo Band and Bugles of the 7 Rifles, with readings from Mr Graham Barker, Vice Lord Lieutenant of The Royal County of Berkshire, the Mayor, and the Bishop of Reading, Rt Revd Mary Gregory. There's also a performance by the Ukrainian choir Kryla (КРИЛА).

Both events are about remembering those who made the ultimate sacrifice to defend the country. The Sunday service brings together local figures and a parade through the town centre, while the Armistice Day silence at Forbury Gardens is open to everyone. The Mayor, Cllr Paul Gittings, put it plainly: residents shouldn't take for granted the freedoms they enjoy today, as they're the result of those sacrifices. Councillor Liz Terry, Leader of Reading Borough Council, called the events an important time of reflection on the bravery, selflessness and courage of personnel past and present.

If you want to mark it, you've got two choices: the full service and parade at the Minster on Sunday morning, or the shorter, public silence at Forbury Gardens on Wednesday. The Armistice Day silence is at 11am on 11 November.