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Tributes to fallen across North East and Cumbria

Servicemen, servicewomen and animals are honoured with memorials, parades and services.

Pamela Tickell

November 8, 2026 • 15:01Updated 7 hours ago2 min read

Rows of people in red, green and blue military uniforms are standing solemnly in the cathedral. The people at the front of the group have their heads bowed. Red poppy petals are dropping behind them. — A remembrance event at Durham Cathedral saw a silent poppy dropPhoto: Vox Productions

Servicemen, servicewomen and animals have been honoured across the North East and Cumbria to mark Remembrance.

Durham Cathedral held its Festival of Remembrance earlier, which saw music and a silent poppy drop, and the Mayor's balcony at Barrow Town Hall was adorned with about 5,000 knitted and crocheted poppies.

Meanwhile, a tree carving depicting a pigeon, dog and horse was unveiled this week at Ridley Park, in Blyth, Northumberland, to honour animals who died in conflicts.

Military parades and services are planned across the region for Remembrance Sunday, including at Victory Square in Hartlepool town centre and Carlisle Cathedral.

Saturday's event at Durham Cathedral featured performances from the Band of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers and the Tyne Electrical Engineers Association Pipes and Drums.

Local crafters answered Mayoress of Barrow Liz Chatfield's call for poppies, which were draped across the town hall's balcony last month.

The balcony at Barrow Town Hal is draped with knitted and crocheted red poppies. The windows are set in grand arches and the exterior of the building is lined with intricate stonework. — Knitted and crocheted poppies adorned the Mayor's balcony at Barrow Town HallPhoto: Westmorland and Furness Council

In Blyth, a purple wreath will be laid at the animal memorial by the Friends of Ridley Park after a service at the cenotaph.

Secretary Claire Young said it was a "very fitting tribute to animals who are often overlooked as casualties of war".

A composite image of the memorial which has been carved out of a tree stump. The head of a horse is topped with the head of a dog, which is them topped with a pigeon. On the right, there is a close up of the dog which appears to be looking up. — A memorial in Blyth honours animals who died in conflictsPhoto: Claire Young

Last month in Newcastle, volunteers restored the railings around the cenotaph at Old Eldon Square.

Organised by NE1, veterans were also invited to share their stories ahead of a parade through the city from the Civic Centre to the memorial.

Lord Mayor of Newcastle, Councillor Henry Gallagher, said: "Remembrance belongs to us all.

"By standing together, united as a city, we can show that the lives, service and sacrifice of those who gave so much will never be forgotten."

Meanwhile, a parade and service of remembrance is planned in Boldon Colliery in front of a newly unveiled memorial.

It features two life-sized granite statues, one depicting a colliery miner and the other a World War One soldier, alongside the refurbished Boldon Colliery Clock.

Boldon Colliery Heritage Group said it was "more than just a memorial, this is a lasting tribute to our heritage, our history and the people who came before us".

The statue has two, white figures on either side. A soldier, on the left, is bowing his head and leaning on a rifle. On the right, there is a miner. A tall, black column in the middle is topped with a clock and words that read: "Boldon Colliery remembers." There is a print of a red poppy and a wheel beneath the figures. — A memorial at Boldon Colliery honoured its mining heritagePhoto: RJX Media

Buildings including Carlisle Civic Centre and The Story in Durham were illuminated red throughout the week.

Cumberland Council also adorned some of their refuse and highways vehicles with printed poppies and a 'Lest We Forget' message.

The panelled wall of the building is illuminated in red. The outlines of poppies can be made out in the light. There are three small posts with lights on top lining the pavement in front of it. — Durham's cultural venue The Story was illuminated redPhoto: Durham County Council

Interim Dean of Carlisle, Michael Everitt said ahead of its Remembrance Sunday service: "Today is an incredibly special day as we remember those who lost their lives, those who have been casualties, and all those affected by war - the families that follow.

"In many respects, we remember the First and Second World War, but there have been so many casualties since; a terrifying statistic is in the last five years, a quarter of a million people have died each year in warfare across the world.

"It's the most since 1946 when they started keeping these records."

He had brought with him his grandfather's service medal for 1914-15, which he said "reminds me everyone carries their own personal memories".