MALVERN rememb-ered its war dead with ceremonies on both Saturday and Sunday in the town centre.

A short ceremony was held on Belle Vue Island at 10.45am on Saturday, when Malvern mayor, Coun Whinray Coates, gave a speech and wooden crosses were planted.

On Sunday, a parade, made up of members of the Royal British Legion, the uniformed services, cadets and other bodies, mustered in Graham Road.

After the traditional wreath-laying and observance of the two-minute silence at the war memorial in the library grounds, a service was held at Malvern Priory.

This was followed by a reception in the town council offices on Belle Vue Terrace, when about 60 dignitaries were the guests of Coun Coates.

The emotional Remem-brance Ceremony scene was repeated throughout Herefordshire and Worces-tershire as communities in towns and villages also paid their respect.

They included Colwall, Cradley, Hanley Castle, Much Marcle, Yatton and Upton-upon-Severn.

In Bromyard, vicar Graham Sykes, of St Peter's Church, said: "We had about 300 people at our Remem-brance Service, a full church, of all ages, from toddlers through to a guy well into his 90s in his wheelchair, in other words, an even mix throughout the generations.

"One thing was for sure, people were very focused this year because of events in Afghanistan and I made reference to that in my sermons, which were well received. "

A legislative change in applying to block streets off for parades meant it did not go through Bromyard itself this year, although Rev Sykes said there will be a parade in 2002.