At 11am today, a busy Liverpool Street Station fell silent, as the bugle played the Last Post and a community came together to remember those who have paid the ultimate sacrifice for our freedom and security in conflicts across the world.
The annual Remembrance Service was brilliantly organised by Michele Ashton, Chaplain to the Railway Industry for Anglia and the British Transport Police. Michele is well-known around Liverpool Street and is often on hand to offer held and support to passengers in need.
The Rector of St. Botolph-Without-Bishopsgate, Fr. David Armstrong led the opening prayers, followed by a Bible Reading by Gary Hunnam, the Retail Business Partner at Network Rail. A wonderful solo was sang by Cheryl Enever, following which I read Robert Laurence Binyon’s well-known poem, For the Fallen. The Act of Remembrance was led by Katie Frost, Route Director for Network Rail Anglia and the Last Port was played wonderfully by Steve Clarkson of HSBC. Bishopsgate Alderman, Kawsar Zaman, read ‘In Flanders Fields’, a poem by Canadian soldier and surgeon John McCrae. This poem led to the adoption of the poppy as the Flower of Remembrance for the British and Commonwealth War Dead.
Following the service, poppy wreaths were laid at the foot of Liverpool Street Station’s war memorial. My Bishopsgate Ward colleagues, Alderman Zaman and Deputy Shravan Joshi were also delighted to lay the first wreath at this ceremony, of behalf of the people of the City of London, for some years.
Liverpool Street is also home to 2 memorials to the Kindertransport scheme, which played such a critical role during the Second World War. You can read more about that in my previous post, here: Holocaust Memorial Day 2022 – Benjamin Murphy
My thanks to all of those who helped organise this Remembrance Service today and to all who participated.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning, we will remember them.
