Saturday 23rd June 2007

In the Dorothy Owen Room at the Alms Houses near Odiham Cottage Hospital

From 10.00 am to noon

everyone is welcome and stalls include

Raffle, Tombola, Nearly New, Delicious Cakes, Plants and Refreshments

Fun for all the family

Today was Remembrance Day and across the country wreaths were laid and ceremonies held to remember the people that lost their lives in wars throughout history. With the main focus on World War 1 and World War 11.

Odiham held a traditional ceremony with wreaths laid by RAF Odiham, The Royal British Legion, The Fire Brigade, The Parish Council, the Odiham Society, Guides and Scouts followed by a March along the High Street

Remembrance Day is held on November 11th to recognise the end of World War 1 on that day in 1918. The tradition of observing two minutes silence at the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month marked the time that the armistice came into effect in Britain and the two minutes represent the two World Wars, prior to 1945 only one minutes silence was observed.

The poppy's significance to Remembrance Day is a result of Canadian military physician John McCrae's poem In Flanders Fields. The poppy emblem was chosen because of the poppies that bloomed across some of the worst battlefields of Flanders in World War I, their red colour an appropriate symbol for the bloodshed of trench warfare. Last year over 5000 veterans, servicemen and women and their families were helped by the support of the poppy appeal every month but there are still many more out there in need.

There was a record turnout for the ceremony in Odiham today, maybe not that surprising given the current terrorism threat and the present war situation and in conjunction with the Royal British Legion this was the second year that Odiham marked the start of the two minutes silence with the firing of maroons and a short ceremony at the War Memorial.

For more information on the Poppy Appeal and the work of The Royal British Legion visit thier website at www.britishlegion.org.uk

The first Odiham Food Festival took place on Bank Holiday Monday 28th of August, and the gusting wind turned out to be the only weather problem, thankfully.

The Odiham Chefs did a sterling job as carefully placed lettuce fluttered off down the street and the public surrounded them and jostled for position to get a better look at thier culinary skills and for the opportunity for a few tasty samples.

The gaps in the street were courtesy of stallholders not turning up, but in hindsight it was a blessing as the street filled up and became more and more lively. The Redwing Jazz Band provided the excellent jazz and the stallholder fees covered the cost of this.

We are very grateful to all who made the day a great first, the Chefs, Stallholders, shops that opened, Stewards and Hampshire Highways for allowing the larger than normal signs on our boundary and of course the public who came from far and wide to support the event.