THOUSANDS of people from all walks of life came together yesterday to pay their Armistice Day respects.

Shoppers went to the town centre cenotaph for a two-minute silence, at 11am, and a commemoration service.

Dozens of poppy wreaths were laid and Mayor Teresa Page said she felt proud of the number of people who attended the event.

She said: “It has been a brilliant occasion. I’m delighted by the public response especially as the weather has been dreary.

“It shows that the people of Swindon value those who laid down their lives for this country.

“Given this year is the centenary of the First World War beginning I think there’s been an added push among the public to come forward and pay their respects.”

There was a poignant scene at Commonweal School a trumpeter and cornettist performing The Last Post as pupils and staff held their two minutes silence.

Charles Drew, the assistant headteacher, said: “As 11am falls at the end of period two and at the start of break we extended the period slightly asking the pupils to remain in their classrooms.

“We then opened all the doors for the silence and had the Last Post playing down the corridors.

“I think this addition really helped to connect the school as a community united in spirit and emotion. There was a great poignancy to it.”

Swindon Advertiser: Click here for a picture gallery of remembrance events

Meanwhile, at Wilson’s Family Butchers, in High Street, Old Town, shoppers buying British also added to Poppy Appeal coffers, with 10 per cent of each sale at the shop yesterday being donated to the cause.

Owner, Martin Wilson, said: “I’m passionate about the poppy appeal and with it being the centenary year we thought it would be a good thing to do.

“We keep everything local and we are a British butcher, with all English meat, so it fits in with the shop.”

Families were also involved in a remembrance event at Ruskin Junior School, where parents and grandparents were among those helping make and lay out poppies to create the school’s own memorial piece.

“It’s our own display – like the Tower of London,” said acting headteacher, Sarah Prevost.

“It was something we wanted to do with the families, because part of the home learning activities during the holidays was for pupils to find out about World War One with their families.”