THE Union flag flew and the traffic stopped to honour those who have died at war.

Crowds gathered around the town hall war memorial to observe two minutes’ silence at 11am yesterday. Following the exhortation, Joe Haxby, 18, a bugler from the Barnsley Metropolitan Band signalled the start of the silence by playing The Last Post.

The conclusion of the two minutes was marked by the playing of the Reveille.

Afterwards, Goff Griffiths, of the Royal British Legion, said remembering the fallen was even more poignant while British soldiers were still at war.

He said: “Over the last two weeks we have been selling poppies – you can’t believe the number of people who have got family serving in Afghanistan and other areas. It is so important that we continue to remember and I was so pleased to see the number of ordinary people here today.”