Record numbers pay respect to war dead

Record numbers turned up to an Armistice Day service at a Sandwell cemetery despite confusion over the date, organisers have said.

Around 70 people gathered to pay their respects to the war dead at a historic memorial in Heath Lane Cemetery yesterday.

A small crowd had originally turned up for 11am on Sunday but nobody was there to lead the service, while Dennis Sanders was also there to liberate 11 white doves, after being booked by cemetery staff for the wrong day. But Charlemont with Great Barr ward councillor Tony Ward, who has organised the remembrance service for the past three years, said it had always been planned to take place on November 11 and was very well attended.

Mr Sanders' son Mark performed the liberation of doves yesterday, while the Rev Andrew Smith from All Saints Church led the service. Representatives from nearby primary schools Hargate and Pennyhill were also in attendance.

The ceremony took place at the once-forgotten granite monument which dates back to 1919 and is believed to have been the area's official war monument until another one was unveiled in Dartmouth Park in 1924. It was refurbished and re-dedicated after being uncovered in 2007.

Councillor Ward said the ceremony was a very successful event.

"Rev Andrew Smith took the ceremony, we had a guard of honour and the doves were released and it was altogether an extremely enjoyable event," he said.

"It is going to be a regular thing.

"I set it up a couple of years ago and the idea was that it would be on the 11th of the 11th every year.

"This is the third year and it started off with about 20 or 30 people, last year had about 40 and this year there were about 70 people so I was absolutely delighted with that."