Public put their lives on hold for half an hour to record their thanks

'WITH a proud thanksgiving a mother for her children, England mourns her dead across the sea' — the opening lines of the poem by Laurence Binyon 'For the Fallen'.

On Remembrance Sunday hundreds of people, perhaps the largest gathering ever seen, assembled around Tavistock War Memorial in an act of remembrance to mark the 90th anniversary of the end of the first world war, remembering those who gave their lives serving their country — hoping and praying for peace and an end to the conflicts around the world.

The Royal British Legion must thank Michael Brierley, priest-in-charge, and the rest of the clergy for conducting the service, to Martin Langsford, parade marshal, to Mr Wilde of Chilcotts solicitors for allowing the use of his car park for the band, to Rosemary and Robert Dobbie for the order of service sheets, to John Collacott for the public address system, to the town council for closing the car park, to the police for their co-operation — all of whom gave their services free of charge, and of course to Stannary Band who gave a first class performance.

Perhaps the most important people to thank are the general public who put their lives on hold for half an hour to record their thanks and to say 'We will remember them'.

Jack May

Branch Secretary

Royal British Legion

THE council in its wisdom can close the whole length of Plymouth Road and some of the surrounding area for a day and a half for Goose Fair, also a section of Plymouth Road on Boxing Day when the hunt meets. But when it comes to remembering the fallen at the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month at the war memorial in Tavistock, the traffic continues to roll.

Why on earth can't a couple of policemen be stationed at the roundabout on Dolvin Road to prevent traffic moving in front of the memorial for five minutes? Surely it's not too much to ask.

One disgruntled

ex-serviceman

C G Hagan

Tavistock

MAY I, through your paper, express my grateful thanks to all who contributed towards the £1,696.33 collected, in the Lamerton area, for the Royal British Legion Poppy appeal this year; the generous givers, the willing helpers and, not least, your newspaper for its support.

B J Austin

Lamerton Mill

Lamerton