General Gordon memorial service

The annual memorial service for Charles George Gordon is to take place at the Riverside Leisure Area Gravesend within the Gordon Memorial Gardens on Wednesday 26 January, 2011 at 11am.

This year marks the 126th anniversary of his death at Khartoum and a small working party have devised a special service to commemorate this local hero.

The service is to be officiated by Rev Canon Chris Stone from St George’s Church and attended by the Mayor of Gravesham, Cllr Bill Lambert who along with pupils from Chantry School, members of the Royal Engineers Association and the president of Gravesend / Meopham Rotary, will be laying flowers placed at the foot of Gordon’s Memorial.

Members of the Salvation Army and Borough Band will be providing musical accompaniment to the service and the Gads Hill School Combined Cadet Force will be in attendance as guard of honour.

In marking the 125th anniversary of Gordon’s School in Woking, former pupils will also be attending the service. The school was founded in 1886 by public subscription as a memorial to Gordon following an idea from Queen Victoria, who became its first patron. The reigning monarch has been patron ever since.

Source: Gravesham Borough Council