I HAD the privilege of attending a wonderful service this week in Barry. The 17th Annual Seafarer’s Service of Remembrance, held by the Barry Merchant Navy Association, which has become an important date in the local calendar and rightly so.

It is so important to remember those lost during the world wars, but particularly this year when the people lost during the First World War are being honoured. The efforts of the Merchant Navy doesn't always receive the profile it deserves. This is an occasion where tributes to those who provided for the UK during times of conflict were centre stage.

We paid our respects to those Merchant Seaman that served and it is wonderful to have such a fitting memorial in Barry, a town known historically across the world through its port. We need to ensure that the memorial is maintained properly.

The attendance amongst former seamen was excellent and Rev Malcom Davies officiated with dignity. The Merchant Navy Association and others attending like the Air Cadets, continue to do a sterling job in paying respects to the fallen.

The memorial, having been refurbished a couple of years ago, continues to provide a focal point of remembrance to those from Barry and the Vale lost in conflict at sea.

It is impossible not to feel moved by the memories of war and those involved locally.

Earlier in the year I visited Mametz Wood in France. To have been stood with my family in the very fields where so many soldiers lost their lives was incredibly emotional.

It is for this reason that I support the various groups in Barry and the Vale that serve as an important reminder of the sacrifices made by our forefathers during the First World War and the other periods of conflict in our history.

The Seafarer’s Service is an event that I have attended for many years, and I will continue to support such a fitting act of remembrance.