Chichester Remembrance 2023: City honours fallen heroes

The parade formed up at 10.30am and, stepping off, made its way to the war memorial in Litten Gardens, where standard bearers and wreath layers formed up for the ceremony proper.

After the Two Minute Silence, representatives from a range of local organisations, including the police, Army, Air Force, Navy and several political parties took part, laying wreaths at the Cenotaph in honour of soldiers who gave their lives fighting for Britain.

Among those who appeared to pay their respects was Chichester MP Gillian Keegan, who said witnessing the service was an “honour”: “Today’s services of remembrance across the country were a poignant reminder of the immense sacrifice made by so many for our freedom.”

Parliamentary candidate for the Liberal Democrats Jessica Brown-Fuller also attended the event, who told the Chichester Observer that she had a personal reason for attending. Her best friend, a Corporal in the Royal Marines, was killed in in action in Afghanistan in 2012.

“I feel honoured to have the opportunity to lay a wreath on behalf of the Royal Marines every year and to remember my very dear friend, Dave,” she said. “It is humbling to see communities come together to pay their respects every year. It was my community that supported me and gave me strength when Dave was killed in action, and the compassion I was shown gives me more cause to represent those communities as their Liberal Democrat parliamentary candidate”.