London to stage remembrance service for Churchill

Seventy-five years since his 'finest hour' in leading the fight against fascism, the nation will remember how it said farewell to its wartime leader.

In the morning a remembrance service will be held at the Houses of Parliament in recognition of Churchill's unswerving dedication to his country.

It will be attended by Prime Minister David Cameron, who has said: "Half a century after his death, Winston Churchill's legacy continues to inspire not only the nation whose liberty he saved, but the entire world. His words and his actions reverberate through our national life today.

"2015 is a year to remember Winston Churchill's extraordinary life of achievement, to admire and to celebrate it anew and to give thanks for his service not only to the country he loved, but to humanity as a whole."

Rodney J Croft, 70, of Queen’s Road in Buckhurst Hill, has been invited by the City of London Corporation to open Tower Bridge at 12.45pm, as the boat that carried Churchill during his state funeral passes through.

Mr Croft’s longstanding interest in Churchill’s life and death recently culminated in the publication of his first history book, Churchill’s Final Farewell, which covers the wartime Prime Minister’s state and private funerals.

The statue of Churchill in Woodford Green

The event will include a wreath-laying ceremony at the statue of Churchill in the Members' Lobby.

Churchill's career in the Commons began in 1900 and spanned 64 years, the longest in the 20th Century.

He represented the constituency of Woodford between 1945 and 1974 and there is a statue of him in Woodford Green.

While a member of the Commons, Churchill sat for two parties, represented five constituencies and contested 21 elections. He held numerous ministerial positions and served as prime minister twice.

Rodney J Croft, of Queen’s Road in Buckhurst Hill, will open Tower Bridge today

Later in the day, members of Churchill's family will take part in a flotilla on the River Thames along the same route taken by his funeral.

It will include the merchant vessel Havengore, which carried his coffin, from Tower Bridge to the waters opposite the Palace of Westminster, where a wreath will be laid.

In the evening, a ceremony will be held at Westminster Abbey.