Armistice Day is the annual anniversary of the symbolic end of the First World War on 11 November. It marks ‘the eleventh hour of the eleventh day of the eleventh month’ when guns fell silent on the Western Front.
Maroons (explosive charges) are being fired in Mowbray Park to mark the beginning of the silence at 11am. They will be heard again at 11.02 when they bring the observance to an end.
Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Barry Curran, who is observing a silence at the Burdon Road War Memorial, said: “We would remind everyone to stop for a moment and join in observing the two minutes silence. It is always important that we remind ourselves of the sacrifices that so many have made and continue to make.
Thanking everyone who attended Remembrance Sunday services across the city, he added: “Long may they continue because it is a special day for so many people across Sunderland.
“A lot of the people who gather at the services have lost family members or know someone who has been injured in the armed services. It’s important that we all remember with reverence those who have lost their lives, and have given service for their country.”
