Hundreds of families, veterans, cadets, schoolchildren and volunteer organisations braved heavy rain to honour the fallen at the annual Remembrance Sunday service in Southport.
The event marked 80 years since the end of the Second World War in 1945.
Southport has paid its own tribute to those who served in that conflict, with the Southport Hookers, the Royal British Legion and Merseyside Polonia working together to create a life-size crochet Spitfire which has stood proudly in the Town Hall Gardens on Lord Street over the past few weeks.
The Remembrance Sunday service was led by Rev Ben Dyer, the Vicar at Christ Church on Lord Street, who told crowds in a packed Monument Square that “Even in despair, faith teaches us that reconciliation is possible and that love is stronger than hate.”
Veterans, cadets and serving personnel taking part in the parade set off from the Armed Forces Community Hub on Wesley Street before marching down Tulkjeth Street, Chapel Street and London Street towards Southport Monument.
Following the service they marched along Lord Street and past Southport Town Hall, with dignitaries taking the salute including Merseyside Deputy Lieutenant Peter Oliver, Southport MP Patrick Hurley, Sefton Council Deputy Leader Cllr Paulette Lappin, Southport Royal British Legion Chair Royston Smith Straney, Southport Royal British Legion President Serena Silcock-Prince, and others.
Dozens of wreaths were laid at Southport War Memorial by a range of organisations including Merseyside Police, Merseyside Fire and Rescue Service, Southport Lifeboat and many more.
Speaking at the Remembrance Sunday service, Rev Ben Dyer said: “Today as we gather, we remember.
“We remember the bravery of those who stood up for strangers. And standing up cost everything.
“We remember the millions who never came home. We remember those who carried wounds unseen. The memories. The nightmares. The questions that never left them.
“And we remember those who stayed at home. Who prayed; who waited; who wept.
“Their sacrifices were not for glory or conquest, but for peace.
“For the belief that freedom and dignity are worth defending.
“That belief remains our duty today.
“Rembrance is not about nostalgia, it is about truth. It reminds us that peace is never inevitable and that hatred, when left unchecked, always destroys.
“The generations we honour today dreamed of a world where nations would work together.
“Where neighbours would look out for one another and dignity would matter more than difference.
“A we mark this anniversary we do so in a world still scarred by war, still wrestling with fear and division.
“The Christian faith says that light shines in the darkness and that the darkness shall not overcome us.
“Even in despair, faith teaches us that reconciliation is possible and that love is stronger than hate.
“The peace we enjoy was not won easily and it is ours now to guard, and to grow.
“We honour the fallen not only standing here in silence, but in how we live. Using kindness over anger; compassion over fear; and friendship across every divide.
“Today we remember, we also pray. That God will leave us people of peace; builders of hope; and bearers of light in our town and in our world.
“In the memory of the brave serve courage in us. And may the love that carried them through the valley of the shadow of death guide us too.
“To stand for what is right; to heal what is broken; and to give us those who believe that light still shines and that love will have the last word.”
Southport Branch Royal British Legion will host its Annual Remembrance Dinner this weekend.
This black tie event will take place at the Masonic Hall, on Duke Street, Southport, on Saturday 15th November 2025.
This black-tie, traditional military mess dinner is held shortly after Remembrance Sunday, offering a solemn and heartfelt tribute to those who have served.
For more details or to book tickets visit: Secure your tickets here: https://buytickets.at/royalbritishlegionsouthport/1864141 or email: southport.chairman@rbl.community
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