Moving tribute to end of battle in World War One

Blackburn with Darwen Council is playing its part in Battle’s Over, an international commemoration marking 100 years since the guns fell silent at the end of World War One.

It will see beacons lit and pipers playing in the borough on Sunday, November 11^th as part of the 100^th anniversary of the end of World War One.

Organised by Pageantmaster Bruno Peek LVO OBE OPR, Battle’s Over takes place throughout the United Kingdom, Channel Islands, the Isle of Man, and at scores of locations overseas, including New Zealand, Ireland, Australia, Bermuda, France, Belgium, Canada, the United States and Germany, to name but a few.

It will begin at 6am with lone pipers playing Battle’s O’er, a traditional Scottish air played after a battle, outside both Blackburn Cathedral and Darwen Heritage Centre, following which a specially written tribute will be read out. At the same time, over 1,000 pipers will be playing the tune in individual locations within their local communities.

Remembrance Services will take place at:

• Saturday 10 November 11am Darwen Market Square
• Sunday 11 November 9.30am at Blackburn Cathedral followed by wreath laying at Corporation Park at 11am
• Sunday 11 November 11am at Darwen Bold Venture Park followed by a service at St Peters church Darwen at 12 noon

In the evening at 7pm beacons will be lit in a tribute called Beacons of Light, signifying the light of peace that emerged from the darkness of four years of war.

Then at 7.05pm Blackburn Cathedral and St Peter’s Church in Darwen will ring their bells as part of Ringing Out for Peace. Darwen will ring its bells 1,302 times, the number of casualties from the town who died in World War One.