Remembrance Sunday was marked at the weekend in Islington with a series of small socially-distanced ceremonies, to commemorate those who lost their lives in two world wars and more than 70 other conflicts.

The annual parade did not take place this year due to the coronavirus pandemic, and was instead replaced by three small services at Islington Memorial Green off Upper street, Spa Green and Manor Gardens War Memorials.

The Last Post was played at each ceremony before a two-minute silence, then wreaths were laid before readings, prayers a blessing and a playing of the national anthem.

Pageantmaster Peter McCafferty said: “I am reminded that the words always used at the end of the two minutes’ silence come from the inscription on the Monument to the fallen at Kohima in India during the invasion by Japan in April 1944.

“‘When you go home tell them of us and say, For your tomorrow we gave our today.’

“We are full of gratitude and admiration for the ultimate sacrifice shown by so many in such awful conditions to secure the 75 years of ‘tomorrows’ we have known of freedom and peace.”

Islington’s opposition councillors, Caroline Russell and Rakhia Ismail also met up on Sunday morning to pay their respects.

Cllr Russell told the Gazette: “I made a wreath on Sunday morning with poppies from the Peace Pledge Union to remember all lives lost, both fighting in conflict and living in places where war is happening.

“I observed the the two minute silence at 11am at the Highbury Corner memorial to 26 people who lost their lives and 150 people injured by a flying bomb at 12.46pm on June 27, 1944 and walked down to Islington Green with Cllr Ismail to lay wreathes at the Memorial after the formal ceremony was over.”

Islington Town Hall will be lit in red until tomorrow evening, to commemorate those who lost their lives in conflit.