Remembrance Sunday Service
Heavy Rain was forecast for Sunday 9th November 2025 but fortunately, the Annual Service of Remembrance went ahead with dark skies threatening but very little rain. The Service was not as well attended as usual, perhaps due to the weather warning that had been issued earlier in the day.
At 10.30am the Remembrance Service, organised by the Resolven Community Council, was held at St David’s Church Hall, Resolven and taken by the Rev. Jayne Shaw.
After the short Service of Hymns and Prayers the congregation moved outside to gather around the War Memorial for the continuation of the Act of Remembrance. Four children from Ynysfach Primary School stood on the four sides of the Memorial, and read out the names of the fallen listed on the Resolven Obelisk.
The ‘Last Post was then played by Karen Cartlidge, as she has done for the past 45 years in Resolven, and the Union Jack was lowered by the Flag Bearer, Martin Evans.
After two minutes silence was observed at 11 o’clock Karen sounded the Revellie and Martin raised the Flag.
Representatives of fifteen local Authorities and Organisations placed wreaths around the base of the Memorial.
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After the Resolven Service the Rev. Jayne Shaw travelled down the valley to conduct a short Service at the Clyne War Memorial where again Karen Cartlidge played the Last Post and Revellie and Martin Evans was the Flag Bearer. Wreaths were laid at the base of the Memorial.
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The Significant and Symbolic Poppy
This colourful little wild herbaceous plant known as the Field or Corn Poppy has become the most famous flower in today’s modern world.
It was seen on Flanders Field surviving against all odds to flourish, grow, and be noticed and cherished and becoming a symbol of hope and peace.
In 1921 after WW1 an American Academic, a lady called Moina Michael was inspired by the Poem ‘In Flanders Fields’ written by Colonel John McCrae who was moved by the sight of these colourful poppies in the Spring of 1915 in Ypres. This lady campaigned to get the Poppy adopted as an official symbol of Remembrance across the US and worked with others who were trying to do the same in Canada, Australia and in the UK. Also involved was a French woman Anna Guerin who was in the UK in 1921 where she planned to sell the poppies in London. There she met Earl Haig, one of the Founders of the British Legion who was persuaded to adopt the poppy as the Emblem in the UK. The Royal British Legion which had been formed in 1921 ordered nine million poppies and sold them on 11th November of that year. The poppies sold out almost immediately. Today the Poppy Appeal has 40,000 volunteers distributing 40 million poppies.
To ensure that there would always be enough poppies, Major George Howson set up a Poppy Factory employing disabled ex Servicemen. Today the factory and warehouse is still busy producing poppies.
The demand was so high, and poppies failed to reach Scotland. Earl Haig’s wife Dorothy then established the ‘Lady Haig Poppy Factory in Edinburgh in 1926 to produce poppies exclusively for Scotland.Today over five million Scottish poppies (which have four petals and no leaf unlike other poppies in the UK) are still made by hand by disabled ex Servicemen. It is now a sister Charity to the Royal British Legion and goes by the name of Poppy Scotland.
A new plastic free poppy has been created since 2023 made entirely from paper. More than four miles of paper are produced every year to create the poppy. This plastic free poppy is easily recycled at home via ordinary paper recycling collections.
Remembrance Day in the UK today is very different than it was 100 years ago. People take part whatever their beliefs and the poppy remains a humble, poignant symbol of peace, remembrance and hope.
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