YOUNG and old united on Sunday (Nov 12) as the towns in the borough remembered those who had fought and died in war for freedom.

Bury town centre came to a standstill as more than 1,000 people turned out to pay their respects to the victims of worldwide conflicts.

The Mayor of Bury, Councillor Bill Johnson, laid a wreath on behalf of the borough at the cenotaph before representatives from a host of civic, military and voluntary organisations added their own poppy tributes.

Among those taking part in the parade were veterans associations, youth groups, local councillors, and representatives from the emergency services.

Ex-servicemen and cadets are pictured lowering their banners as a mark of respect during the parade at the cenotaph outside Bury Parish Church.

Those who gave their lives for freedom would be turning in the graves at the state of Britain's modern selfless society.

That was the message from Reverend Dr John Findon, the Rector of Bury, as he spoke to nearly 1,000 worshippers who braved Sunday's freezing conditions to pay their respect to the heroes of countless worldwide conflicts.

Speaking during the annual Service of Remembrance at Bury Parish Church, Dr Findon said: "Society is keen to encourage its children to do well at school, get good grades, get a good job and do well for themselves. "What we should be saying to our children is that they should do well at school and pass their exams, get good jobs and do well for themselves and put their skills and effort into helping a greater good.

"We have become a selfless society and those who look down on us, those who lost their lives fighting for freedom, must be wondering why they gave their own lives to a selfless generation."

Dr Findon added: "We recognised that we have not always deserve our heritage. Pride, selfishness, bitterness and greed still hold sway among us. We have been careless of our responsibility to those who will follow us.

"Every generation is given a choice either to squander or to conserve the inheritance of the past: either to seek the common good or to forsake it in the pursuit of selfish ends."

Before the church service, the poppy-wearing public lined the streets around the church to watch the civic and military procession march through the town centre to the cenotaph.

As the church clock struck 11am, the massed ranks fell silent as Bury paid its tribute to the young men and women who fought in a variety of ways and at a great cost to protect the world from tyranny.

Bury's Mayor, Councillor Bill Johnson, laid the first wreath at the cenotaph on behalf of the population of the borough with representatives from youth and veteran associations adding their own red tributes.

Dr Findon said: "We are gathered to acknowledge before God our great debt to those who laid down their lives in a noble cause: to remember them with pride and thanksgiving and to pray that we may prove ourselves worthy of their sacrificed."