LARGE crowds are expected at the annual Remembrance Sunday parade and service in Skipton on November 12.

Organised by Skipton Town Council, Holy Trinity Church and the Skipton Branch of the Royal British Legion, the traditionally well-attended parade will be followed by a wreath-laying ceremony at the war memorial at the top of High Street and a service at Holy Trinity Church.

The parade will set off from Bunkers Hill, next to the law courts on Otley Street, at around 10.40am and make its way along Newmarket Street and onto High Street to the war memorial for the sounding of the Last Post by brothers John and James Brown,  and wreath laying at 11am.

Following the church service, the parade will reform on The Bailey and march back down High Street, taking the salute from civic dignitaries at a dais close to the Sir Mathew Wilson statue.

The parade will then make its way onto Otley Street and back to Bunkers Hill.

Those attending the service will include His Majesty’s Lord-Lieutenant of North Yorkshire, Brigadier John Wardle, Skipton MP Julian Smith, and town mayor, Cllr Sheila Bentley.

For the fifth year, a sizeable contingent from the 5th Regiment Royal Artillery will be in attendance, along with the 4th Battalion of The Yorkshire Regiment and members of the Royal Navy and Air Force.

A further contingent from the Army Foundation College in Harrogate will also take part – alongside representatives of emergency services, youth organisations, and community groups. Skipton Brass support the occasion by playing subliminal music throughout.

To allow for the parade to take place safely, a number of town centre roads will be closed to traffic at times between 9am until 1pm – including High Street. Parking will also be suspended on the top part of High Street from first-thing Sunday until after the parade.

Tobias Garbutt, the town council's events supervisor said: “As always, we would ask drivers to be patient and to respect the occasion. Delays will be kept to a minimum, but High Street is expected to be very busy and will need to be closed during both the parade and the wreath-laying ceremony.

“Everyone is very welcome to attend both the ceremony at the war memorial and the church service. If you are planning to arrive by car, please allow sufficient time as access to the town centre car parks – particularly the main Town Hall Car Park - may be affected by the road closures.”

Remembrance will also be commemorated in villages and towns across Craven.