Visitors from Bridgwater’s Czech and Italian Twin Towns were here to watch carnival but when it came to Remembrance day they had a plane to catch. Nevertheless they wanted to pay their own tribute to the people who had fallen in the many wars that have scarred humanity and so made a brief appearance at the Kings Square cenotaph before catching their flight.

Along with visitors from Canada they placed their own tributes .

Canadians Shawna Cooper and Liam Clarke-Cooper were from the Ontario town of Guelph -coincidentally the home town of First World War poet John McCrea author of the poem ‘In Flanders Field’ which had been the inspiration for the whole poppy idea in the first place and so we couldn’t let the occasion go by without inviting the rich North American tones of 16 year old Liam to recite the poem at the King’s Square memorial as the guests planted their crosses bedecked in their national colours.

Stanislav Blaha, Mayor of Uherske Hradiste, planted the Czech Cross, Luigi Teodonio, from the Bridgwater-Priverno link, planted the Italian cross while Shawna Cooper planted the Canadian cross bearing the words ‘Peace in our time’.