A STUNNING display to mark Remembrance Day in a Herefordshire village has been made by the people living there.

It comes as usual Remembrance Day events have had to be cancelled or adapted to comply with the lockdowns in England and Wales.

In Hereford, the city council has put together a virtual service to be shown on its Facebook page at 10.50am on Sunday (November 8) as it would not be able to safely manage people gathering in St Peter’s Square to pay their respects as normal.

There will be wreathes laid at the war memorial by six veterans, which is within Government guidelines.

A spokesperson said: “Hereford City Council will be working with the Royal British Legion to make sure that despite the restrictions on public gatherings, those who gave their lives in two world wars and many other conflicts since 1918 will be remembered with dignity and respect this Remembrance Sunday.

“Hereford City Council has created a unique video to premiere on Sunday at five minutes to 11am, which includes the two-minute silence.”

He said the video pays tribute to those who served and died in conflict.

The Mayor of Hereford Coun Kath Hey has already attended the Dedication of The British Legion Field of Remembrance at Hereford Cathedral earlier this week.

A similar initiative has been adopted by Bromyard’s Royal British Legion, who will also host a video on its Facebook group on Sunday morning.

In nearby Stoke Lacy, artist Nigel Montandon is behind a sculpture outside the church on the A465.

He said the display is the result of collaboration between a number of people living in the village, which is also home to Wye Valley Brewery.

Ledbury Reporter:

Mr Montandon, 79, added: “I made up a soldier and little girl, which I felt was quite pertinent, two years ago and it appeared in our churchyard. Since then, I got the villagers rallied round to make this cascading display using many hundreds of poppies.”

In Kington, restrictions mean there will be no service at St Mary’s Church on Remembrance Sunday, but the vicar will be doing a live streamed service at 10am.

The church said this will be followed by a short service at the war memorial at 11am for a two-minute silence and the laying of wreaths.

Over the Herefordshire border in Wales, people have been asked to mark Remembrance Sunday from their doorsteps this year.

Wales is in a firebreak lockdown until November 9, which means Presteigne has had to think of a new way to mark the day.

The rector of St Andrew’s Church, Rev Steve Hollinghurst, said: “This is entirely beyond our control and I am deeply saddened and disappointed that this important event in the life of our community may not take place this year.”

There will be a wreath-laying ceremony with a short service of remembrance at the war memorial, but attendance will be “strictly limited” due to the firebreak lockdown.