REMEMBRANCE Sunday at Winchester Cathedral will go ahead next month but in a radically different way.

Covid-19 restrictions means there will be no outdoor ceremony and only a small number of people will attend the service. People will be invited to watch the service on a livestream into their homes.

The service usually attracts around 1,000 people every year.

The service will be for a limited number of invited people, including members of the military, veterans and uniformed organisations, schools and colleges, councils, faith leaders, the Mayor, High Sheriff, and a representative of the Lord Lieutenant of Hampshire. It will be held inside the cathedral, in a socially distanced way.

The decision, announced today, was made after consultation with the City Council Safety Advisory Group, Public Health England, the Royal British Legion, and local regiments.

The Very Rev Catherine Ogle, Dean of Winchester, said: “After close consultation with partners, sadly, we will not be able to have an outdoor commemoration. We know this will be a great loss to many. However, we are so pleased now to be able to offer live-streaming of this significant Service enabling people to come together, while ensuring everyone stays safe.”

The Mayor, Cllr Patrick Cunningham, said: “Remembrance ceremonies this year will be unlike any other; but we must find new ways to reflect, remember and observe this important occasion.

“I actively encourage you to watch the live stream of the Service at 10am on Remembrance Sunday, and I invite you to stand on your doorsteps at 11am to share in a united 2 minutes silence to remember all those who are currently serving, those who have served in the past, and those who have given their lives.”

People are also encouraged to light a candle in the cathedral in the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday. In the week after, people can lay wreaths by the War Memorial or crosses in the nearby Royal British Legion Garden of Remembrance.

The Remembrance Sunday Service is open to everyone to join online, at 10am, Sunday November 8 on the Cathedral website, Youtube channel and Facebook page.