Every November, our communities pause to remember the bravery and sacrifice of those who served in the Armed Forces. Remembrance Day is about reflection, gratitude, and togetherness, and across Coventry and Solihull, it’s marked with moving local events that bring people together in quiet solidarity.
For us at Franklin & Hawkins, it’s also a reminder of why we do what we do: honouring lives, telling stories, and holding space for remembrance in all its forms.
Coventry, a city shaped by remembrance
If there’s one city that truly understands remembrance, it’s Coventry. The Coventry Blitz in 1940 left scars that still shape the city’s soul — but also built its legacy of peace and reconciliation.
Each year, Coventry hosts several events around Remembrance Sunday and Armistice Day (11th November):
- Remembrance Service at the War Memorial Park – The city’s main service begins with a parade and a two-minute silence at 11am. The sound of the bugle and the stillness that follows are powerful reminders of the cost of peace.
- Coventry Cathedral Service – A deeply symbolic setting, the Cathedral service includes prayers, music, and wreath-laying to honour the fallen.
- Peace Festival Events – In the days leading up to Remembrance Day, the Coventry Peace Festival features talks, creative workshops, and community activities centred on hope, unity, and remembrance.
- St Mary and All Saints Church in Fillongley has become known for the beautiful display of knitted poppies that cascade from the roof of the church which are created by the church’s Knit and Natter group.
Coventry’s approach blends solemn remembrance with optimism, a city that remembers its losses while standing firmly for peace.
Solihull and Marston Green – community remembrance at its best
Over in Solihull and its surrounding villages, the commemorations are smaller in scale but every bit as heartfelt.
- Solihull Town Centre Parade and Service – Each year, a procession gathers near St Alphege Church, leading to the war memorial for the Remembrance Sunday service. Local schools, Scouts, veterans, and civic leaders join together, with wreath-laying and a two-minute silence at 11am.
- Marston Green’s Parish Remembrance – Closer to home for many families, St Leonard’s Church in Marston Green, just a short walk from our funeral home in Marston Green holds its own service at 10am, followed by a parade to the Garden of Memory. Roads close as the community comes together to pay tribute, a perfect example of remembrance rooted in connection and care.
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Local Touches – Across the borough, you’ll spot knitted poppy displays, remembrance gardens, and school projects — small but powerful acts that keep memory alive for younger generations.
Whether you’re standing in Solihull’s town centre or at a village garden in Tile Hill, each poppy and each silence tells a story.
Finding your own way to remember
Remembrance doesn’t have to be confined to a specific day or place. You might choose to:
- Visit a local memorial or cemetery and leave flowers or a poppy.
- Take part in the two-minute silence wherever you are, at home, at work, or out walking the dogs.
- Share stories of relatives who served, or light a candle at home.At Franklin & Hawkins, we often help families weave elements of remembrance into funeral and celebration-of-life services, from a moment of silence to a poppy motif in the order of service. It’s a gentle way to link personal memory with the wider act of collective remembrance
Remembrance Day is more than a date on the calendar. It’s about community, gratitude, and reflection, values that run deep in our work every single day.
Whether you attend a large civic ceremony in Coventry, a small local service in Marston Green, or simply pause in your own way, each act of remembrance keeps the stories and sacrifices of others alive.
Because remembering isn’t just about looking back, it’s about carrying those values forward.
