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CostaBlancaPeople 12th November - 18th November 2024
12TH NOVEMBER - 18TH NOVEMBER 2024 - EDITION 1069
Tel: 607 031 113 | claire@costablancapeople.com | costablancapeople.com
Your Essential Weekly Read
Local community remembers
As servicemen and women gathered at the Cenotaph in Whitehall, London on Sunday, members of the local community held a Remembrance Service in Mil Palmeras. Both commemorated the contribution of British and Commonwealth military and civilian servicemen and women
involved in the two World Wars and later conflicts. Following the demise of the local branch of the Royal British Legion, previous coordinators have been supporting the new organisers, the local branch of the Royal Naval Association, to ensure that the same high standards were maintained
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this year. Once again, at the tiny Catholic church, Capilla de las Mil Palmeras, more than 500 veterans and members of the general public, were led in Remembrance by Pastor Keith Brown, of the Hope Christian Fellowship Church in La Marina. Pastor Keith, who held his first Remembrance Service in Mil Palmeras 16 years ago, spoke of the special significance of our common grief following the awful recent events in the Valencian Province. Coupled with the gravity of our memories of recent wars and conflicts, the event was a particularly solemn affair. It was attended by Jose Maria, the Mayor of Pilar de la
Horadada, councillors from both the local government and the opposition parties, many Spanish families, and the British Vice Consul, Sara Munsterhjelm as the community united as one in mutual sorrow. Prior to the service, standards from the Royal Navy, and several other service associations, were led to the church by the magnificent Torrevieja Pipes and Drums. Lessons and readings were delivered by the Mayor, Jose Maria, Francisca Samper, along with Amanda Clancy, Tony and Maureen Jenkins and Walter Shatford while Naval veteran Nicola Louden read ‘In Flanders Fields’, a poem written by Lt Col John McRae of the Canadian Army Medical Corps after losing a friend in Ypres in 1915. There was also a particularly moving vocal performance of Hallelujah by Cindy Fitzpatrick while the Last Post and Reveille were played by the Costa Blanca’s
premier bugler Ian Gibson. Former Welsh Guards Pipe Major Brian Day played the lament, Hector the Hero. The Costa Blanca International Concert Band also provided the musical accompaniment to the hymns, led by their Musical Director Jeremy Davies. Sisters Angelina and Leticia Bergmann carried the peace candle to the altar, after which they recited the Children’s citation for peace in both English and Spanish. The service was concluded with the National Anthems of Spain and the United Kingdom after which the ceremony moved out to the International Garden of Remembrance, where there was a further minute’s silence, specifically held for the hundreds of people who have either died or who are still missing in the Valencian DANA. The dignitaries and guests then laid their wreaths in remembrance, before members of the public added their own poppy crosses in memory of family members and lost colleagues and friends, all to the accompaniment of a lone piper.