This weekend was a particularly different one to the rest. It was Remembrance weekend.

Saturday 11 November marks the day World War I ended as the nation remembered those who put their lives on the line and those who lost them during battle – and not just from World War I, but other battles including World War II, The Gulf War, the Folklands War and even conflicts in Afghanistan and Iraq.

Silence fell across the Borough of Bromley this weekend as several towns and their residents payed tribute to armed forces and to remember those who lost their lives. Servicemen and women were honoured with a two minutes’ silence on November 11 at 11a.m followed by Remembrance Day services the next day, known as Remembrance Sunday. Remembrance Sunday takes place every year and fall on the second Sunday of November (and this year it was on the 12th of November) and two minutes silence and services also take place on this day at 11a.m Towns including Bromley, Orpington, Petts Wood, Hayes, Crofton, Chislehurst and much more held ceremonies and a two minute silence to commemorate all those who fought bravely but lost their lives.

In Bromley the service took place at Bromley Parish Church. The Bromley council’s chief executive, Doug Patterson, the representative Deputy Lieutenant and even the Mayor of Bromley, Kathy Bance attended the service. There was then a Civic party afterwards at the War Memorial where the wreath laying Ceremony took place.

In Chislehurst, Councillor Ian F Payne read a lesson and lay the wreath at the service which was at St. Nicholas Church and the wreath laying ceremony was held at the War memorial.

In Orpington, the wreath laying ceremony was held at Orpington war memorial followed by a Service at All Saints Parish Church and later on there was another wreath laying ceremony at the Canadian corner. The deputy Mayor Kevin brooks attended.

These are just a few examples of the Remembrance services that took place and there were many other similar services held in neighbouring towns.

What is the significance of this date and time?

On the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month guns of Europe fell silent and still, for four years of resentful fighting was finally over. In the Forest of Compiegne (France) in a railway carriage, the Armistice was signed on November 11 1918 at 5a.m, and six hours later at 11a.m the Great War ceased.

Edward George Honey (an Australian Journalist), had proposed a respectful silence to remember those who had given their lives in the first World War, in a letter published on 8 May 1919 in the London Evening News. This notion was brought to the attention of King George V and on 7 November he released a proclamation that called for a two minute silence: “All locomotion should cease, so that, in perfect stillness, the thoughts of everyone may be concentrated on reverent remembrance of the glorious dead.”

Since 1919 a two minutes silence was held at 11a.m on the second Sunday of November, and this day was known as Armistice Day. Poppies were worn by the nation to remember those who had fallen as those were the flowers that grew on the battlefield after the war ended. Commemorative ceremonies / services were and still are held in places such as cenotaphs, Churches, war memorials, shopping centres and many other places all over the country. After the end of World War II in 1945, Armistice Day became Remembrance Day to include all those who had fallen in the second World War but also other conflicts.

Raheela Butt, Farringtons School