Peaceful Bury St Edmunds may be a world away from atrocities, but a large crowd gathered for Holocaust Memorial Day.

East Anglian Daily Times: The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds.The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)

Taking place at the Peace Garden in the Abbey Gardens, Reverend Canon Matthew Vernon, of St Edmundsbury Cathedral, led the service.

East Anglian Daily Times: The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds.The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)

He said it was really important to be standing united to challenge the “terrible events” that take place in the world and have “scarred our human history”.

East Anglian Daily Times: Guildhall Feoffment School pupils give a readingGuildhall Feoffment School pupils give a reading (Image: Archant)

Children from Guildhall Feoffment Primary School sang during the service and planted snowdrops to remember the victims of the Holocaust.

East Anglian Daily Times: The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds.The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)

Mayor of St Edmundsbury, Julia Wakelam, said it was a privilege to be there to represent the borough, adding: “It’s wonderful to see so many members of the community here as well as we should remember this beautiful Peace Garden was a creation, really, from the community.”

East Anglian Daily Times: The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds.The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)

The theme of this Holocaust Memorial Day is ‘how can life go on?’

East Anglian Daily Times: The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds.The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)

East Anglian Daily Times: The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds.The St Edmundsbury Holocaust Memorial Day Service taking place in the Abbey Gardens Memorial Garden in Bury St Edmunds. (Image: Archant)