THE chance to pay respects to fallen comrades and reflect on the 60th anniversary of the Second World War is being offered on a trip to D-Day landing beaches and graves in Normandy.

Tolladine Community Centre, on Rose Avenue, has organised a coach tour to memorials and battlefields in northern France next month - the end of the Second World War will be remembered in ceremonies this summer.

Allan Poyner, the community worker in charge at the centre, said not everyone going was a war veteran.

"There's a mixture of some old and younger people on the trip, and they all have different reasons for going," he said.

For some it was just to see the graves and others wanted to pay their respect to fallen comrades, said Mr Poyner.

John Penn, aged 58, from Tolladine Road, booked a place because he wanted to see the graves of soldiers with his surname - several members of his family were killed in the Second World War.

"About 690 soldiers called Penn died in both world wars - which tells you how big the wars were," he said.

The Community Centre has already organised a whistle stop shopping trip to Calais and a visit to the famous Austrian Christmas markets. Mr Poyner hopes if the Normandy trip is a success, more will follow.

Tickets for the five-day trip, leaving on Sunday, February 13, are £200, including travel, accommodation and insurance.

For more details, contact Mr Poyner on 01905 20922.