Giant Poppies At Portsmouth Guildhall For Remembrance Sunday

6 November 2014, 07:23 | Updated: 6 November 2014, 07:25

Guildhall Square and the Guildhall steps will be decorated with giant poppies for Portsmouth's annual service of remembrance, to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War.

The service, on Remembrance Sunday, 9 November, will be attended by Prince Michael of Kent, Honorary Rear Admiral and Commodore-in-Chief of the Maritime Reserve, who will lay a wreath at both the First World War and Second World War memorials as well as taking the salute as the parade marches off from the square.

The Lord Mayor of Portsmouth, Cllr Steven Wylie, will also be joined by the Deputy Lieutenant of Hampshire, Col Charles Ackroyd, in leading the civic delegation, which will include Cllr Donna Jones, Leader of the Council. Serving military personnel and members of ex-service groups will parade on to the square at 10.30am, led by the Royal Marines Band.

The parade will include representatives from RM Volunteer Cadet Corps, Air Training Corps, army and navy reservists and the Hants and IOW Army Cadet Force.

The service of remembrance will be led by Canon Peter Leonard of Portsmouth's Anglican Cathedral and Father James McAuley of the Roman Catholic Cathedral, and will begin at 10.58am.

A gun from HMS Nelson will fire at 11am to start the official two minute silence as the Last Post sounds.

The Portsmouth Military Wives Choir will be performing and will be joined by the Hampshire Police Male Voice Choir to lead the singing, accompanied by the Salvation Army and The Royal Marines bands.

There will be free admission during the day to the D-Day Museum. At the museum there will be a talk titled D-Day - The Last of the Liberators, at 12pm and 2pm, and performances of a play, Five Beaches, at 3pm and 4pm.

The South Coast's preparing to mark the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War this Sunday.

There'll be parades across Hampshire and Dorset.