Some of my earliest memories are of being at the Cenotaph in Kendal Market Place with my family, many of who had been in the Armed Forces in both the World Wars and in later conflicts.

My maternal grandfather, Serjeant James Henry Wilson, of The Border Regiment, has his name inscribed on the Cenotaph. My mother was involved with the British Legion and took me round with her selling poppies door to door every year.

Later, first with the Cubs and then the Scouts, I attended the Remembrance Day service ceremonies at the Cenotaph. Then work and my own growing family caused me to drift away from attending.

In recent years, with a son who is a serving soldier, I have tried to attend the Cenotaph on Remembrance Sunday only to find that, although wreaths are laid there at 10am and people gather informally at 11am for the two-minutes’ silence, the main service no longer takes place there.

Someone in an organisat-ion some years ago decided the Kendal Parish Church should be the place to hold it.

I am not really interested in going to church and I know there are many more who feel as I do. If it is not taking place at the traditional location in the Market Place in Kendal, I would much rather watch the Whitehall ceremony on TV.

Last week’s newspapers and regional television news programmes carried pictures of ceremonies taking place all round the country at cenotaphs/war memorials, in the traditional manner, in the open air. It would seem Kendal is seriously out of step with the rest of the country.

I would urge whoever is responsible for the organisation of Remem-brance Sunday events in Kendal to restore the traditional Market Place service and then all those who want to, can march to the parish church afterwards. After all, if it is good enough for the Royal Family it should be good enough for the people of Kendal.

Trevor Cotton, Oxenholme