Remembrance Sunday at the Cenotaph Urmston.
 
13.11.16
 
One of my favourite days of the year, before I retired one of the duties I always requested was to escort Stretford Ex Servicemen down to the Cenotaph on Stretford Road not far from Old Trafford. To see how those men and women, some very aged, some disabled struggled and strained to make the journey always warmed my heart, having said that they were very feisty and I could tell you a few stories of them chasing after cars who tried to pass or interfere with their parade, great memories.
A perfect day for this year’s Remembrance Ceremony, nice and bright, high clouds, a feint sun and the usual November nip in the air, several members of the two Mark Lodges Chorlton and Flixton Shepherd Eastwood gathered at Urmston Masonic Hall at 9.15 before setting off to the marshalling point and a welcome cup of coffee inside the new Library. We had lots of pleasant chat with the members of the many various groups such as the Police, Sea Scouts, Social Clubs, Veterans of the armed forces, councillors all very different and all interested in what the collars were representing we were all wearing.
At the appointed time the procession set off accompanied by two bands to help keep us all in step, we of course always set of with our left foot.. After a brief stop at a small memorial right in the heart of Urmston where the dignitaries laid a wreath we continued down to the main Cenotaph which is sighted in the centre of a very large roundabout at Davyhulme Circle and what a sight beheld us all, upwards of two and half thousand people had gathered from the very elderly to babes in arms, there seemed to be more around the circle than ever this year.
The ceremony followed the usual pattern just as can be seen on television at the Cenotaph in London, during the two minutes silence the only thing to be heard were the birds singing and it reminded me of something my Father always told me of his time during world war two, he always said it was amazing that after a heavy shelling had taken place as soon as the explosions died down all you would hear were the birds singing.
Austin Fletcher
The Group at the Cenotaph
Graham Bailey
After laying the Mark Wreaths down we slowly made our way amongst the crowd back to the hall for a late breakfast (brunch) donating the payments to the Poppy Appeal, we all thought it was a splendid morning and looked forward to next year when we are hoping to come out in force to march to the Cenotaph as Mark Masons, the Happy Caring Degree.

Words and pictures by Austin Fletcher