THOUSANDS of residents in villages around the main towns of West Wiltshire commemorated the Armistice Day centenary in their own special way.

Churches were packed, with many people standing to take part in the services, before processing to their village war memorials to lay wreaths.

At St Mary’ the Virgin Church in Westwood, residents of all ages made a wreath of purple poppies to commemorate the horses, dogs and carrier pigeons who died.

A cascade of multi-media poppies was made by people across the whole community, while poppies on the pulpit were made by children from the local primary school.

Jo Meggs, of Westwood, said: “In addition, members of the congregation placed poppies in a trough during the service on Sunday. As each name and circumstance was read, so a poppy was placed.”

In Winsley, a group of volunteers hand-knitted more than 3,200 poppies from wool to drape over prominent points in the village, including the war memorial.

Local Wiltshire councillor Johnny Kidney said: “This element, organised by the WI, was particularly powerful and had a great effect on bringing the community together and generating awareness, particularly amongst young people in the village.”

“As a result, yesterday’s Act of Remembrance was the best attended many could remember, with hundreds packed into the church before processing to the war memorial for a ceremony at 11am.”

In Steeple Ashton, bellringer Petra Brown made a dress of 300 poppies, one display of many on show as part of its tribute to the 37 men who went to the Great War and never came back.

More than 3,500 poppies, all hand-made by villagers in Steeple Ashton and Great Hinton, decorated the village’s 15th century church.

It was part of an exhibition that included WW1 memorabilia, along with display panels of information and personal items telling the stories of the local men and how, when and where they died.

Villagers also baked ‘trench cakes’, available free of charge along with coffee to exhibition visitors, andmade to a wartime Government recipe, to send to front-line troops as a morale booster.