West Country falls silent for Remembrance Day

Thousands attended services across the region this morning

Cities, towns and villages across the West Country fell silent this morning to mark Remembrance Sunday.

Parades, church services and wreath laying ceremonies took place all over the region, with a two-minute silence held at 11:00 GMT.

Places of worship, parks, busy city centres and even a pier all became sites of remembrance.

Thousands of people took part, from serving and former military personnel to cadets, scouts and members of the public, all of them in attendance to honour fallen members of the Armed Forces.

Lieutenant Colonel Gerald Kearse, a commanding officer in the Queens Royal Hussars who served in Iraq and Afghanistan and attended the service this morning in Tidworth, Wiltshire, told the BBC: "I like to reflect on those that have gone before us, especially in my regiment

"For me, it’s those I’ve served with over the years, but also my family and the families of those I’ve served with because as we all know, everybody pays a price when we have to deploy."

Hundreds of handmade poppies have been displayed overlooking Clevedon Pier, where a service was held to mark the day. In a scene repeated all over the country this morning a two-minutes silence was heard on iconic structure, with a rocket fired to signify the start of the silence.

A ceremony was held this morning in Weston-super-Mare, following a parade of cadets, military personnel and scouts and guides which marched to the war memorial in Grove Park from the High Street.

A field of remembrance has also been set up to the right of the memorial, where people were allowed to leave their own tributes to the fallen.

Thousands of people lined the streets in the centre of Bristol for the the city's annual parade and service centred on the cenotaph. A prayer was led by the Bishop of Bristol during the proceedings, with words from different faith leaders also shared after the laying of wreaths.

St Mary's Church in Yate was packed with people for this year's remembrance service following a parade through the centre of the town.