MOST of today's generation have never witnessed war. They have never had to deal with bloodshed. But on Monday young and old bowed their heads in silence to remember those who died to protect our great nation. Reporter LEE HANNON watched as playgrounds, businesses and supermarkets came to a complete standstill to pay respect to our war heroes.

THE maroon warning signal fired and Warrington came to a virtual standstill as folk bowed their heads to remember the war-time dead.

In shops, homes and offices Warrington people demonstrated the greatest display of homage seen for many years on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month.

In the playground or in the supermarket young and old fell silent to remember the sacrifices made by their fathers and grandfathers.

RAF servicemen Raymond Massey was moved to see the village of Lymm come to a halt.

The 69-year-old British Legion member said: "It was truly unbelievable. It was the greatest homage I have ever seen.

"We stood by the cross in Lymm and all the shops and business stopped. So did the traffic.

"But most moving was how many young people stopped to pay tribute.

"The mood is changing among the younger generation and they now realise the future of the nation was secured by what we did."

Teachers in most schools explained to pupils how heroes had laid down their lives for future generations.

Nearly 80 per cent of the town paused in the middle of its workday life to revive tradition on the exact anniversary of the moment in 1918 when the First World War ended.

On Winwick Road fire officers lined up in front of the station.

Shoppers in the town centre stopped in a solemn act of remembrance.

Staff at High Street shops and banks including Marks and Spencers, Boots, Asda, Sainsburys, Next, Barclays, Lloyds, Natwest, TSB, halted work during the two minutes' silence.

The Asda superstore in Westbrook was closed for building work, but contractors and staff stopped anyway.

At North West Water offices in Great Sankey may staff stopped work to pay their tributes.

Hundreds of staff at Warrington Borough Council bowed their heads, as did many at the Warrington Guardian offices.

Hushed police officers came to a halt in the Arpley Street station.

While in Warrington Bus station drivers switched off their engines and asked passengers to join in their silence.

At the offices of the Greenalls Group staff paid their respects.

Judges called a 'silence in the courtroom' as they halted criminal proceedings and divorce cases in Warrington's Crown Court.

As a cannon fired to signal the end of the tribute shoppers and workers slowly carried on their business.

But as life returned to normality, fresh in our minds were the sacrifices people made to keep the nation free.

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