25/10/24

The opening ceremony for the 2024 Welsh National Field of Remembrance has taken place at Cardiff Castle, as the nation prepares for the annual Remembrance Sunday.

The Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones joined a number of other dignitaries, including Cardiff Council's Deputy Leader Cllr Sarah Merry and Jane Hutt MS on behalf of the Welsh Government, to pay their respects in a special Remembrance service with a Two Minute Silence.

Leading up to the service all dignitaries had the opportunity to write tributes and afterwards they planted crosses at the Welsh National Field of Remembrance in the castle grounds.

The Deputy Lord Mayor, Cllr Helen Lloyd Jones said, "It is important to remember those who lost their lives during service in all conflicts; from the beginning of the First World War right up to the current events in the Ukraine and in the Middle East.

"It is a time to reflect and pay tribute to all those who serve and have served, for risking their lives to keep others safe, and also to remember their families.

"The Field of Remembrance is a touching tribute to these members of the armed forces and a public reminder that their sacrifices are never forgotten."

The rows of more than 3,000 crosses and commemorative markers inside the castle, each carry a personal message to someone that lost their life during Service. The Field continues a tradition that began in 1928 when poppies were planted around an original wooden cross, taken from the battlefield grave of an unknown British solider, located in the grounds of Westminster Abbey.

The Field of Remembrance in Cardiff Castle is open to members of the public to visit and pay their respects daily between 10.30am to 5.30pm until 12 November 2024.