HUNDREDS of people in Powys paid their respects on Sunday to the British servicemen and women who have lost their lives at war.

Brecon was packed for the service which started outside St Mary’s Church on The Bulwark.

The Archbishop of Wales John Davies, who is also the Bishop of Swansea and Brecon, led the service assisted by Brecon Cathedral’s new Residential Canon Dr Mark Clavier.

The mayor’s procession, including the High Sheriff of Powys Susan Thompson and Brecon’s mayor, Cllr Ieuan Williams, arrived just before the prayers started. A bugler announced the beginning of the two-minute silence with the Last Post, which was later ended with Reveille.

Forty wreaths were laid at the war memorial outside St Mary’s church by various organisations and charities, including the Scouts, Guides and the Aberhonddu Male Voice Choir.

After more prayers to honour the fallen servicemen, the mayor’s party retreated to the Guildhall while the parade – which was formed of the local army, navy cadets and royal airforce cadets, gurkhas and the infantry battle school – marched up the hill to Brecon Cathedral. The mayor’s party joined everybody else at the cathedral for the main hour-long service which was also led by the archbishop.

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Kerr laid a wreath at the memorial – representing the servicemen charity SSAFA. He said: “We help ex-servicemen, current servicemen and the families of servicemen who are in the army, the royal airforce and the navy. We do mostly help people who have been out of service for a while.”

He said that servicemen only need to have been with the armed forces for one day to qualify for SSAFA help.

Retired Rear Admiral Mark Kerr also said: “Well, war is a very serious and unpleasant thing. If we forget how nasty it is and its affect on people, cities, countries and countless families, we run the risk of repeating the experience again through ignorance.

“Remembrance is important for two reasons. Firstly, it pays honour and respect for those who gave their lives for us to live a decent life, and secondly it lessens the risk of us doing it again.

Although we chiefly think of the two world wards when we think of remembrance day, there have been a lot of wars since then and there are still a lot of servicemen who continue to give their lives in distant lands for their country today.”

A smaller service was also held at St Mary’s Church on Saturday to mark the day of remembrance.

Traffic stopped for the Rhayader townsfolk who gathered around the town clock war memorial on Sunday. The service, which was led by lay preacher David White, included a two-minute silence to remember the soldiers who died while serving the UK. It also included the singing of both the Welsh and the UK national anthems and a further service which was held at St Clement’s Church.

Various local organisations laid wreaths at the memorial including Rhayader town council, the fire service, St John Ambulance, Rhayader WI and children’s groups including Cub Scouts and Brownies. Rhayader Mayor Cllr Christian Walton, laid two wreaths – one on behalf of the town and another in memory of two brothers from Rhayader who died three months apart in World War One. Edward William Rees of the First Battalion Welsh Guards died on December 1, 1917 only aged 19. His brother James, a gunner in the Royal Field Artillery, died on March 24, 1918 aged 21.

They were the sons of James and Mary Rees of Penpistyll in Rhayader which lost 66 people from its population of 1,000.

Their nephew, Keith Hodges had the wreath made and contacted Mayor Walton from his home in Oxford to ask is he would lay the wreath on Sunday.

Two Brecon bikers organised the annual Poppy Market, sponsored by Young’s of Brecon carpet shop, in Brecon’s Indoor Market – this year with a Falklands War theme as it is 35 years since it ended.

Drew and Jules Hore organised the market, which took place on Sunday, October 29, to help raise money for the British Legion’s Poppy Appeal as well as to remember fallen servicemen. The pair also installed a Falkland’s memorial in the Brecon Peace Gardens after raising the money through a sponsored ride.For more Remembrance Day pictures see this week's Brecon and Radnor Express.