Local residents and dignitaries remembering the dead about 1930. Various officials, wearing their chains of office, are standing on the left to hear the service conducted by a local vicar. A member of the armed forces is in attendance on his right, in front of the memorial. Matlock Bath's Cubs, Scouts and Rovers were also at the service.

During the 1930s Matlock Bath's churches seem to have taken it in turns to hold remembrance services. In 1930, for example, a short service was conducted at the memorial by Rev. C. T. Walker, Vicar of Matlock Bath, alongside The Rev. W. Smart and Mr. H. Hix, secretary of the Matlock Bath Branch of the League of Nations Union. The hymn "Now thank we all our God" was sung and wreaths laid^[1]. Two years later a united service was held in the Wesleyan Church in the afternoon and a short service was then held at the War Memorial, and The Silence was observed. Rev. C. T. Walker officiated and the Revs. W. Smart (congregational) and J. Bower (Wesleyan) also took part in the service^[2]. In 1935 ministers of all denominations took place in a united service once more and a large number of wreaths were laid^[3].

The tradition is still kept up today. Until relatively recently the late Charles Beresford, author of a history of WW1 and the local soldiers who died, used to read out the list of names of those who lost their lives in both World Wars.

References:

^[1] "Derbyshire Times ", 14 November 1931.

^[2] "Derby Evening Telegraph and Derby Daily Express", 11 November 1932. United Service at Matlock Bath.

^[3]"Derby Evening Telegraph", 11 November 1935.