Alfie R in Y13 had the honour of representing Coombe Dean at the annual Remembrance Service at Burrow Hill in Plymstock last Friday.

The service was attended by the Lord Mayor, members of the Royal British Legion, veterans and families, Rebecca Smith MP, Rev. Jenny Appleby, land and see emergency services and local councillors including Cllr. John Stephens who has worked closely with year 13 students previously.

Alfie chose to read the poem printed below. Cllr. Stephens and others shared comments that his choice for the occasion was beautiful and praised his reading.

Remember why we remember

By Charlie Wilson

It’s time to remember

Remember why we remember

Those boys, those men

That gave their lives away back then

We’ve lost touch with the past

And wished time away too fast

We forgot those that didn’t surrender

Those great country defenders

Too caught up with followers and retweets

To be thankful for the war we never had to meet

From the midst of mayhem

And life taking war

To millennials replaying it on Call of Duty 4

Over one million British lives lost

And countless others

Far too many broken-hearted mothers

All those lives taken for one great cause

So put your TV or your Netflix on pause

It’s time to remember

Remember why we remember

We live the lives we live

Because the lives they chose to give

So focused on Instagram fame and Xbox games

To realise without them

Our lives wouldn’t be the same

Unthinkable things that they went through

Now forgotten memories to the majority of you

So take a moment and be grateful for what we have

Phones, computers, laptops and iPads

All that we have and all that we know

Is because of them

So forget the latest fashion trends

Put down your phones

Pick up a poppy

11th of November

Remember why we remember.