Day: June 5, 2014

A series of civic and community events are planned this summer as the city marks the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

These will include an open air memorial service, displays of poppies, a parade through the city, and special exhibitions.

The memorial service will be held in the east gardens of the Royal Pavilion at 3pm on August 3, the eve of the anniversary, and is open to everyone. The inter-faith drumhead service is being co-ordinated by Brighton & Hove City Council with the Royal British Legion and will be led by the Bishop of Chichester. (The east gardens are the area in front of the Royal Pavilion where the skating rink is located in the winter)

The 70th anniversary of D Day in the Second World War will be also be commemorated on Friday, June 6 with a memorial service at the Old Steine War Memorial in Brighton at 3pm. The service is open to all. A D Day anniversary concert is being held the same day in the Music Room of the Royal Pavilion at 7.30pm with the Victory Wind Quintet. Tickets price £18 (£16 concessions) are available from www.brightonfringe.org or telephone 01273 917272.

Armed Forces Day on June 28 will be marked with a Princess of Wales’s Royal Regiment (PWRR) Freedom of the City Parade. Soldiers from the 1st Battalion PWRR and the Band of the Blues and Royals will step off from the Peace Statue on Hove seafront at 11am and follow a route along the seafront, West Street and North Street before arriving in New Road around 11.20am. This will be followed by a parade and inspection in New Road joined by veterans organisations and cadets.

Events will continue in New Road during the afternoon from noon to 4pm, and include performances of vintage and wartime music from Vintage 5 Live & Rockabellas, information stands, and children’s performances in the Unitarian church.

A major exhibition opens at Brighton Museum & Art Gallery on July 12 highlighting the personal impact of the war through the experiences of 15 local people.

War Stories: Voices from the First World War is one of a series of special exhibitions and displays being held by the Royal Pavilion & Museums as part of the city’s commemorations.

A sea of poppies will be flowering on grass verges and at other locations across the city this summer after wildflower seeds were sown by parks staff earlier this year. School children across the city have also been sowing poppy seeds, with every school receiving 1,000 seeds.

Other commemorations are also being lined up and a round up of events, including events being organised by community groups in the city, is available on the council’s website www.brighton-hove.gov.uk/WW1.

Councillor Jason Kitcat, leader of Brighton & Hove City Council, said: “The historic anniversary of the start of World War One will be commemorated in the city, as it will be around the world.

 

“The war affected so many lives in so many different ways, and the council has been working with a range of organisations to develop a vibrant and respectful programme of events to mark the centenary and reflect upon the courage and sacrifice made by local people.”

He added: “Whether at a memorial service, visiting an exhibition, or taking in the sight of a sea of red poppies, there will be a range of opportunities for people to mark the anniversary.”

Commemorative events this summer are the start of a four year programme of events which will culminate in the anniversary of Armistice Day in November 2018.