COLUMN by Thornbury and Yate MP Claire Young

Last Sunday I attended two Remembrance parades as people from all walks of life came together to remember those who had been lost in conflicts over the years.

The first was in the morning at St Mary’s in Yate, the second at St Saviour’s in Coalpit Heath.

Both were very moving services with opportunities to remember and honour the sacrifices made by people over the years to help us preserve our freedom and liberties.

Although Remembrance Day started after the First World War, it has come to honour all those killed in the Second World War and those who lost their lives in more recent conflicts, such as Iraq and Afghanistan.

With conflict currently still happening in Ukraine, the Middle East and Sudan, this contemplation of the cost of war is yet more poignant.

I grew up near a garrison town and participated in the annual remembrance parade.

When I was young there were many World War Two veterans marching, now sadly with the passage of time there are few left to tell us first-hand about their experiences.

For many of us, the horror of what people experience in war - both in the armed forces and as civilians - is fortunately far removed from our daily lives, and so many have not experienced the toll it can take on communities.

That’s why it’s so important we remember our debt to those who made the ultimate sacrifice.

It was certainly an honour to plant a poppy on behalf of the residents of Thornbury & Yate in Parliament’s Garden of Remembrance in the days leading up to Remembrance Sunday. 

While I cannot attend every parade and service across the constituency, it was good to be able to commemorate all those from across our area who made the ultimate sacrifice.

It is heartening then to see our communities come together around a shared sense of purpose and this is something we must always put at the heart of all we do.

Claire Young MP at the Remembrance Sunday service in Yate  (Image: RichMcD)