ALTON will join the nation’s tribute next Sunday (November 11) to mark 100 years since the guns fell silent at the end of the First World War.

The day will begin with a special service of remembrance at the Cairn War Memorial, outside the Assembly Rooms on Crown Hill, organised by the Alton branch of the Royal British Legion and Alton Town Council.

Led by Royal British Legion outriders and standard bearers, the town’s uniformed and youth groups will meet at 10.30am in the Market Square from where they will march down Market Street and up the High Street to join the assembled crowd for the annual Act of Remembrance, led this year by town mayor Derek Gardner.

The town council is inviting any serving or retired service personnel to join the parade from the Market Square and is keen to encourage war veterans with medals and their families to join the town as it remembers the fallen.

There will be a two-minute silence at 11am, followed by the release of 12 white doves, in a symbolic act of peace across the world.

Town centre roads will be closed from 10.30am to 11.45am.

They include Normandy Street, from its junction with Victoria Road, and the High Street, from its junction with Church Street to Turk Street, including Market Street.

All traffic expecting to drive south through the town centre should seek an alternative route.

The Market Square will also be closed and car owners are reminded that it is an offence to leave their vehicles in the Market Square overnight.

Alton’s tribute will continue in the evening when at 6pm the Reverend Andrew Micklefield will conduct a service in St Lawrence Church as part of ‘Battle’s Over’ - a nationwide tribute marking 100 years since the end of the Great War.

For those who prefer a secular alternative, the town council is inviting people to St Lawrence Primary School to listen to poetry recitals and extracts from ’Here’s to the Men of Alton’ by Tony Cross and ’Alton from 1914-1920 – Life in the Alton area during and after WWI’ by Jane Hurst and the Alton U3A Local History Project Group.

After the church service and readings, people will gather in the churchyard where Rev Micklefield will read out the names of all 224 townsfolk who fell in battle during the First World War.

The Alton Boys Brigade will sound the Last Post at 6.55pm in co-ordination with buglers around the world and this will be followed by the simultaneous lighting of First World War ’Beacons of Light’ at 7pm, in a tribute signifying the light of peace that emerged from the darkness of four years of war.

The evening’s tribute will conclude at 7.05pm with a peal of church bells as part of ‘Ringing Out for Peace’ in unison with more than 1,000 churches and cathedrals, organised in association with the Central Council of Church Bell Ringers.

Mr Garnder said: “We are proud to be playing a part in this historic international event to commemorate the centenary of the end of the Great War, and to recognise the contribution and sacrifice made by the men and women from our own community.”

‘Battle’s Over – A Nation’s Tribute’ has been devised and planned by Pageant Master Bruno Peek, who has organised major royal celebrations and international events for more than 36 years and has been working on this event for more than four years.