At the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month, Abingdon once again paused to remember.

The Armistice was signed at five o’clock on Monday morning, 11th November 1918, bringing an end to WWI hostilities at 11 am, after what was described as ‘the cruellest and most terrible war that has ever scourged mankind.’ Since that day, people across the world have honoured the moment with a two-minute silence.

This morning, the community gathered at the Abingdon War Memorial. The Mayor and local councillors, police, and the Royal British Legion were in attendance, along with a class of pupils from Thameside School. The children placed wooden crosses in the turf beside the memorial. Clare Oldfield who runs the poppy appeal in Abingdon said, ‘The children of Thameside School have shown amazing support for the Poppy Appeal over the past few years and today’s appearance at the cenotaph in Abingdon to mark Armistice shows the importance of today to them. They are the new generation making sure that the act of remembrance continues.’

Among those present was also a former soldier holding his six month puppy, Winnie, who brought the children and people together once the silence had ended.