Maidstone

The nation is once again preparing to remember its dead from two world wars and the many conflicts since – and there are several chances to pay respects.

Maidstone will mark the occasion on Remembrance Sunday, November 13, with a parade through the town followed by a service of remembrance.

It includes a two-minute silence at 11am at the War Memorial in The Broadway, followed by the laying of wreaths.

The parade, including military and civilian units, will form up in Week Street, and set off at 10.30am, to march past the Town Hall, down the High Street, over the bridge to the memorial for the service at 10.50am.

Once the wreath-laying has concluded, the Mayor Cllr Derek Butler and his guests will lead the parade back to the Town Hall, with participants expected to dismiss in Week Street at 11.35am.

There will be a sequence of rolling road closures as it passes. Traffic will be affected on County Road (for the parking of coaches), Sandling Road, Station Road, Union Street, St Faith’s Street, Earl Street, Week Street, High Street, Wyke Manor Road, Pudding Lane,Bank Street, Gabriels Hill, Mill Street, Lower High Street, the Bridge Gyratory, Barker Road, St Peter’s Street, The Broadway, Rocky Hill, London Road.

The area around the memorial will be shut between 10.30am and 11.30am.

The Royal British Legion at Aylesford will mark the occasion with a service on Armistice Day, Friday November 11, in the Garden of Honour, off Hall Road, Aylesford, starting at 10.45am.

On Remembrance Sunday, there will be a parade at the village from the Pavilion to the Memorial Gardens at 2.45pm.

Also on Sunday, remembrance will be held at East Sutton Memorial at 10am, and at Sutton Valence Memorial, at 10.55am.

From 3pm a service takes place at St Michael’s Church, in Chart Sutton. Parking is provided by Sutton Valence Prep school.

The Weald

A popular remembrance parade threatened with cancellation due to a lack of volunteers is set to go ahead.

The procession through Paddock Wood has become more popular in recent years, but a shortage of street marshals almost led to it being called off.

Around 700 people attended last year, and it was estimated that there would need to be at least 16 volunteers to line the route.

Paddock Wood Town Council launched an appeal for volunteers and enough were found. The parade takes place on Remembrance Sunday, November 13, starting at 9.30am.

Starting from St Andrew’s Church, the route follows Maidstone Road, Commercial Road, Station Road, and Church Road, and finishes at the war memorial at the junction of Station Road and Commercial Road.

In other areas, Hawkhurst holds one of the longest processions. Members of the Royal British Legion will form at the RBL Club in The High Street, on Sunday, November 13, where they will be joined by the Scouts, Guides and other village groups, setting off at 10am.

The route includes Highgate Hill, Moor Hill, to St Lawrence Church where there’s a service at 11am.

In Staplehurst, a parade will form up 10.10am on Sunday at the Village Centre in the High Street, before marching along the High Street to All Saints Church for a service starting at 10.45am. Wreaths will be laid at the war memorial inside the church.

In Tunbridge Wells, events on Remembrance Sunday, begin at 10.45am with a service of remembrance at the War Memorial in Mount Pleasant Road, followed by the laying of wreaths.

Wreaths will also be laid at the Tunbridge Wells Cemetery in Hawkenbury at 2pm that day at the two cross of sacrifice memorials to the servicemen and women and the civilians who are buried there.

Afterwards, the Royal British Legion will host a talk on The Belgian Colony of Tunbridge Wells 1914-1919.

Tonbridge and Malling

The Royal British Legion at Aylesford will mark the occasion with a service on Armistice Day, Friday, November 11, in the Garden of Honour, off Hall Road, starting at 10.45am.

On Remembrance Sunday, November 13, there will be a parade in the village from the Pavilion to the Memorial Gardens at 2.45pm.

Representatives from Tonbridge and Malling council will be involved in events on Armistice Day and Remembrance Sunday.

On the Friday, maroons will be fired at 11am to mark a two-minute silence in both Tonbridge and West Malling.

Following this there will be a short service at Watergate, Tonbridge, attended by the Mayor Cllr Mark Rhodes, while his deputy Cllr Roger Dalton will attend a service at the war memorial in West Malling.

On Remembrance Sunday, the Mayor and his Mayoress, Julie Rhodes, will take part in two services. A service and wreath-laying in the Memorial Gardens at Bradford Street, Tonbridge, will start at 10.45am and this will be followed by a parade along Bradford Street, High Street and Castle Street to dismiss in front of Tonbridge Castle.

In West Malling, events will start at 2pm with the Mayor taking the salute by the pump in the High Street.

A parade will then continue to St Mary’s Church for a Service of Remembrance at 2.30pm. This will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the War Memorial outside the church.

In Snodland, cabinet member Cllr David Lettington will attend the town’s Remembrance Sunday parade and service.

It leaves Holmesdale School in Malling Road at 2.30pm following the route to Snodland Cemetery where the service will take place. After this, the parade will proceed to the Paddlesworth Rooms in Waghorn Road.

On Remembrance Sunday in Kings Hill, the deputy mayor, Cllr Roger Dalton, will attend a service of Remembrance at the Running Airman War Memorial at 10.45am. Road closures will be in place for the parades.