COMMEMORATIONS to mark Remembrance Sunday will be slightly different this year.

Fordingbridge Town Council has been working with the Avon Valley Churches to plan for Remembrance Sunday and due to the lockdown restriction from November 5, there will not be a service at the Memorial Gardens and the public are asked not to attend.

Instead there will be a short service at 11am attended only by the Mayor of Fordingbridge, Edward Hale and Canon Gary Philbrick of Avon Valley Churches.

They will mark the occasion with the laying of two wreaths.

Councillor Hale said: “Paying our respects to those who lost their lives in the two World Wars and later conflicts is very important, and so it is with deep sadness that I am making this extraordinary request and asking people not to attend the service at the War Memorial this year.”

Avon Valley Churches is planning to stream a short Remembrance film where residents will be able to watch proceedings online via the church’s Facebook page or on its YouTube channel.

Residents are being asked to decorate their windows with poppies and stand at their front doors at 11am on Sunday to observe the two minutes silence, and make donations to the Royal British Legion to support its Poppy Appeal.

Personal acts of remembrance can be made at the war memorial but only in line with the current Covid-19 guidance but not on the Sunday between 10am-12pm.

Fordingbridge Town Council says the plan is being reviewed regularly and will be updated if guidelines change.

Ringwood’s Remembrance commemorations will be live streamed on the Ringwood TV Facebook page from 10.45am.

Verwood’s Remembrance service at the Memorial Stone on Ferrett Green will also be live streamed on Facebook and will also be broadcast on Forest FM.