Cllr Roy Gerstner – Community Activist

On behalf of the Mayor of Peterborough, Councillor Gul Nawaz, I am emailing to provide you with the details on how to view the forthcoming virtual service for VJ Day.  

Please see below information released by Peterborough Cathedral:-

75th Anniversary of VJ Day commemorated in Peterborough with special online service

The Dean, Chris Dalliston, is to lead an online service compiled in collaboration with Peterborough City Council, to commemorate the 75th anniversary of VJ Day on Saturday 15th August.
The service will be live streamed at 3.00pm on the Facebook pages of both Peterborough Cathedral and Peterborough City Council. It will also be available on You Tube.

During the service the Mayor of Peterborough, Cllr Gul Nawaz, will lay a wreath in remembrance of those who lost their lives in the Far East during the Second World War. Both Cllr John Holdich, Leader of the City Council, and Gillian Beasley, Chief Executive, will give readings and the prayers will be led by the Revd Canon Ian Black, Vicar of Peterborough. These will be based on those used in a VJ Day service held in Westminster Abbey in 1945.

During the service the Last Post will be played and Major Anthony Elsey will read the Exhortation and the Kohima Epitaph. Members of the Royal British Legion will raise and lower the ensign during the service.

The Very Revd Chris Dalliston said:

“This is an opportunity to come together to remember those who served in the Far East, even after the 1945 victory in Europe had been won. Many of them gave their lives there in the cause of freedom and justice. We will also pray for peace and the healing of the world. Despite all we have faced in the past and still face today, this will also be a time to come together in joy, like those who gathered 75 years ago, in gratitude for all that binds us together even in times of sadness and loss.”

The service will be available on these links: 
Peterborough Cathedral Facebook page
Peterborough Cathedral YouTube channel 

For more information about VJ Day see: https://ve-vjday75.gov.uk/vjday/
Kind Regards
Civic Office
Peterborough City Council
Town Hall, Bridge Street
Peterborough
PE1 1HZ

Email: mayor@peterborough.gov.uk

THE STORY OF THE EXHORTATION

The Exhortation is said on Remembrance Day right after the Last Post is played, and leads into the Two Minute Silence. The Exhortation is an extract from a poem written by Robert Laurence Binyon called “For the Fallen”, written in mid-September 1914, just a few weeks after the outbreak of The War.

Early in The War, the British Expeditionary Force had suffered heavy casualties in its first encounter with the German Imperial Army at the Battle of Mons on 23rd August. The BEF also joined with the French Army in frustrating the German advance at the First Battle of the Marne between 5th and 9th September 1914, and heavy casualties were suffered there too.

The poem was first published in The Times newspaper on 21st September 1914.

The Exhortation

“They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old,
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun, and in the morning,
We will remember them.”

Response: “We will remember them.”

Kohima Epitaph

The Kohima Epitaph is the epitaph carved on the Memorial of the 2nd British Division in the cemetery of Kohima (North-East India). It reads:

‘When You Go Home, Tell Them Of Us And Say,
For Your Tomorrow, We Gave Our Today.’

The verse is attributed to John Maxwell Edmonds (1875-1958), and is thought to have been inspired by the epitaph written by Simonides to honour the Greeks who fell at the Battle of Thermopylae in 480BC.

(RG – My thanks to A.O.)

Whilst the A605 Peterborough Road has been closed – Jones Bros™ have been doing work on the West side of the KD Crossing.

Today I was priveldged to witness a very generous act of honesty.

I had just arrived outside of the Town Council Offices on Queen Street and invited the clerk Sue Piergianni outside for a short chat, she arrived and immediately spotted a ‘Wallet’ laying on the pavement. She made sure that  Cllr Alex Miscandlon checked the contents with her:-

£380 —- Drivers Licence —- Bank Card—- Other Cards & ID.

Within 5 minutes she had identified the owner, contacted him on Facebook™ and received a reply. (Social media does have its good points)

The owner of the lost ‘Wallet’ arrived 20 minutes later (a resident of Eastrea) to reclaim his lost ‘Wallet’
Alas a short thank you was all Sue got – not even a drink for her honesty.
Ah well – we can all sleep without any guilt tonight.

Photo RWT Photography @ WTC

I was surprised on such a hot day – the numbers in town today – all well behaved and wearing of face coverings (except one)…
Wetherspoons has more table and chairs outside.

This morning at 11:45 went to the site and spoke with the Site Manager – who informed me that all being well the road – A605 Peterborough Road will re-open tomorrow.
No time give as the top dressing will go on in the morning and will need to go off before the road is opened.

The Showmans Guild are very eager to restart the Fair Grounds again.
Unfortunately due to Covid no one can guarantee social distancing.