Home | Your Council | News and communications | October news | October news

October news

Annual service of prayer for Seafarers this Sunday

Portsmouth is set to remember those who have lost their lives at sea and to commemorate the life of Admiral Lord Nelson this Sunday at the annual service of remembrance for Seafarers.

Lord Mayor Cllr Richard Jensen will be joined by the Mayors of Havant, Fareham and Gosport for the service at Portsmouth’s Anglican Cathedral at 11:15am, which will be led by the Dean of Portsmouth, the Very Reverend David Brindley.

Senior officers from the Royal Navy and the Royal Marines will also attend the cathedral service, where a collection will be taken for the Royal National Lifeboat Institution (RNLI).

At 12 noon, attendees will then process to the statue of Admiral Lord Nelson in Grand Parade, Old Portsmouth, where the Lord Mayor of Portsmouth and Mayors of Havant, Fareham and Gosport will lay wreaths in recognition of Nelson’s heroism.

Also laying wreaths will be Vice Admiral Alan Massey, Second Sea Lord; Major General Gary Robison, Royal Marines; Mr Nick Slope, the Nelson Society and Dr Colin White, Director of the Royal Naval Museum.

Following the wreath laying, The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth will then go to the sea wall where he will commit a wreath to the sea to commemorate all those who have been lost.

Cllr Terry Hall said “Portsmouth is a city with a rich maritime heritage. In this act of remembrance, we dedicate our thoughts to all those who have lost their lives at sea and commemorate the life of Admiral Lord Nelson, our greatest seafarer.”

A Band and Guard of the Sea Cadets will lead the procession from venue to venue.

Date : 24 October 2008

---