ON THE 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, Mole Valley fell silent to remember those killed in war.
Rector Graham Osborne led a service in St Mary and St Nicholas Church, in Leatherhead, before a parade down to the memorial in North Street.
"The fact it was actually Armistice Day was very powerful," he said.
"It was a fabulous day – the weather was wonderful and we had a full church."
The church service included a sermon from assistant curate Kuhan Satkunanyagam, a psychotherapist who has worked with survivors of the Sri Lankan civil war.
Mr Osborne said: "That was very powerful; the effect that war has on everybody, soldiers and civilians."
At the service in Ashtead, John Reynolds, of the Ashtead Royal British Legion branch, was also pleased with the turnout. He said: "It's the most we've had for years. We must remember these people."
Mole Valley District Council leader Chris Townsend, also a county councillor for Ashtead, was at the ceremony.
"It was a wonderful morning," he said. "The best crowd for many, many years.
"It's very important that people do remember those who have fallen, whatever the year. It's as important in 2012 as it was in 1914."
Beavers, Cubs, Scouts, Explorers, Brownies and Guides all took part in the Ashtead service, with several carrying standards.
Malcolm McKee, leader of the First Ashtead (Pelham) Scout group, got youngsters together before the service for a 20-minute talk about the importance of remembrance.
"About 140 former members of our Scout group were involved in the Second World War," he said.
"Six of them gave their lives and they are remembered in the inscription on the bottom of the war memorial.
"The youngest was 17 and the oldest 21 when they died.
"I think it's a shock for them to realise that, in particular in the Second World War, it was children as young as some of them going to war, fighting fires in Ashtead, or running messages and facing risks every day.
"It really brings it home, it really engages them."
In Bookham, services were held at St Nicolas Church, All Saints' Church and at the Canadian War Memorial in Eastwick Park Avenue.
Roy Mellick, who went to the ceremonies at St Nicholas and the Canadian War Memorial, said: "There was an increased turnout, probably because the weather was better, but also because of the publicity it's been getting recently.
"I thought people were very respectful. People followed the service well too. Not everybody is religious, but all of the crowd responded to the church statements."
At County Hall, in Kingston, on Friday the chairman of Surrey County Council Lavinia Sealy laid a wreath following a minute of silence.
She said: "It remains as important as ever to remember those who made the ultimate sacrifice, so that we could enjoy the freedoms that we do today.
"I feel extremely honoured to be paying tribute to the brave men and women of our armed forces. We must never allow them to be forgotten."
