Bells to ring out and 10,000 to march past the Cenotaph as the nation says 'Thank you'

Ten thousand members of the public will be invited to march past the Cenotaph to mark the centenary of the Armistice later this year, Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright announced today.

• 10,000 people will march past Cenotaph on 11 November in ‘A Nation’s Thank you - The People’s Procession’
• Ballot launches today for members of the public to apply
• UK government, supported by the German government, invite nations across the world to participate in international bell ringing on 11 November to replicate the national outpouring of relief that took place in 1918

Descendants, family members and the public are invited to apply to take part in ‘A Nation’s Thank you - The People’s Procession’ on Sunday 11 November 2018. At the same time, people are being encouraged to ring bells around the world, as the government is seeking to replicate the spontaneous outpouring of relief that took place in 1918.
As news of the Armistice spread, church bells, which had fallen silent across the UK during the First World War, rang out spontaneously in celebration.

Culture Secretary Jeremy Wright said:
“On the centenary of the Armistice, it is right that we come together to give thanks to those who paid the ultimate sacrifice and those who returned home to help shape the world we live in today.

The 11th of November offers us a unique opportunity to show our appreciation for the generation who gave so much to secure this hard fought victory. I encourage everyone, whatever their connection to the First World War, to apply to participate in the People’s Procession and join in with the bell ringing programme to help us mark this historic occasion.

This will be a fitting conclusion to the four year commemorations of the centenary of the First World War and ensure the stories from this important period of our history are passed down to future generations.”

Bell ringing and the People’s Procession will take place after the conclusion of The Royal British Legion’s Cenotaph Parade, which follows the National Service of Remembrance at the Cenotaph on 11 November 2018, the centenary of the end of the First World War.

The People’s Procession will provide an opportunity for those taking part to march past the Cenotaph to give thanks to all those who served in the First World War to secure the victory that helped shape the rights and privileges we enjoy today.

Members of the public are invited to apply for tickets for the People’s Procession through a ballot to armistice100.org.uk. 10,000 tickets are available and will be allocated randomly in pairs. The procession will march down Whitehall where successful applicants will be able to lay wreaths at the Cenotaph.

Bell ringing and the People’s Procession both form part of the national commemoration events for the centenary of the Armistice in London and will be followed by a service at Westminster Abbey in the evening.