Village tribute to the war dead

There was a touching scene at Toddington Village Green on Sunday as more than 1,000 people gathered for Remembrance Day.
Crowds gather around Toddington village greenCrowds gather around Toddington village green
Crowds gather around Toddington village green

The service was marked by Rev Anne Crawford reading out the names of each of the war dead from the village memorial. Some 42 wreaths were laid to honour the men who made the ultimate sacrifice.

Members of the Toddington Branch of the Royal British Legion paraded from the village hall to the green, accompanied by Toddington Brass Band all the way.

Dave Ward, 73, said: “This is one of the biggest parades in Bedfordshire.

“We had at least one thousand people and it just shows the tremendous community spirit in Toddington.

“It was a particularly poignant service, in some cases there were four or five taken from the same family in both wars.”

After the service, the crowds observed a two-minute silence and sang a rendition of God Save the Queen before marching home from the green with equal solemnity.