FOUR thousand poppies adorned Ken Ditchfield's Jeep when it went on parade at the Fremlin Walk shopping centre in Maidstone on Remembrance Day.

Ken, who runs the Jeep Raffle for the War and Peace Show, provided the vehicle in response to an appeal from the centre's management. They wanted a military vehicle as a focus for shoppers wishing to observe the two minute's silence at 11 am.

The short ceremony began with the sounding of the Last Post by bugler Barry Knight, a veteran bandsman of the Queen's Own Royal West Kent Regiment.

The Exhortation was then read by Jack Shearer, customer liaison manager for Fremlin Walk, who served with the Second Battalion of the Scots Guards. 

A solemn group of shoppers - including a number of service veterans wearing uniforms and medals - observed the silence. At the end Mr Shearer read the Kohima lament and Barry Knight sounded Reveille.

Ken Ditchfield, who attended with War and Peace regular Nobby Clark, is himself a veteran of the Royal Horse Artillery.

Jaine Rees, marketing manager of Fremlin Walk, said: "The Jeep created a focal point for shoppers who wanted to observe the two minutes' silence. It also attracted many people who wanted to buy poppies."

"The ceremony was very moving and quite emotional. I think people were glad to have the opportunity to take part."

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