Special poppy trains stop at Liskeard Railway Station

Special trains carrying wreaths of poppies to London’s Paddington Station stopped at stations across the railway network yesterday, as part of commemorations for Armistice Day.

The Great Western Railway’s Poppies to Paddington initiative saw civil leaders, volunteers and MPs lay special wreaths at stations to honour the nation’s fallen heroes.

Now in its fifth year, the Poppies to Paddington operation featured 10 GWR trains carrying hundreds of wreaths to the capital, where they were laid at Paddington Station’s war memorial on Platform 1 prior to a special service of remembrance.

READ MORE:Mystery of Plymouth House of Fraser closure solved

READ MORE:Plymouth's Gables animal home in urgent plea for cash to buy land

The trains stopped at a total of 90 stations along the route, with Looe RNLI volunteers Sue Bungey and Marilyn Berry among those taking part, placing a commemorative wreath on board the early-morning service at Liskeard Railway Station.

Sue and Marilyn waited on Platform 2 at Liskeard Station for the arrival of the 06.20 service to London Paddington, where they were joined by Christina Whitty, Liskeard’s Mayor. On the platform Sue and Marilyn handed Looe RNLI’s wreath over to GWR train staff.

Onboard were volunteers from the RNLI’s Cornish lifeboat stations who joined the train on its journey eastwards from Penzance.

Also among volunteers accompanying the wreaths on their journey to Paddington, and attending the remembrance service, were Simon Hannaford, RNLI Water Safety volunteer, and RNLI military veterans Simon Jeffery, Coxswain at Plymouth RNLI, and Tony Rendle, mechanic at Penlee RNLI.

Looe’s commemorative wreath was knitted by Sue who participated in the recent knitathon at Cornubia in Par, organised by RNLI Education and Water Safety volunteer Gaynor Williams.

Sue knitted enough poppies to make a large wreath, which she assembled with the help of her assistant shop manager Trish Calloway.

South West Devon MP Rebecca Smith also laid a wreath when the train stopped at Ivybridge Railway Station.

Ms Smith, who also served an engagement co-ordinator with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, had also placed a poppy cross in the House of Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance on behalf of her community, as well as taking part in a number of services including the wreath laying on Armistice Day.

Ms Smith said: “It was a privilege to plant a poppy cross on behalf of South West Devon in Parliament’s Constituency Garden of Remembrance.

“Remembrance is an integral part of British society, something I feel particularly strongly about, having worked for the Commonwealth War Graves Commission for more than six years. I will never forget the stories of young men and women I had the privilege of sharing across the South West for more than six years.

“In South West Devon we have a proud military community which includes RM Bickleigh, home of 42 Commando Royal Marines. We must never forget those that paid the ultimate price for our country and the freedoms we enjoy today.”