The Royal British Legion has rebutted comments made by the leader of Bradford Council that younger people do not take an active enough role in the annual Remembrance services.

Councillor Kris Hopkins said he believed young people often felt distant from the ceremonies and that more imaginative thinking should be employed to ensure they were able to better understand the significance of the Remembrance period.

He said: "As someone who has served in the armed forces and taken part in countless Remembrance events myself, I am concerned that the younger generation have difficulty understanding the significance of what we are commemorating."

Coun Hopkins (Con, Worth Valley) said if more younger people took part in proceedings it would help make the ceremonies more relevant to their peers.

But Barbara Allsopp, the Royal British Legion's Poppy Appeal co-ordinator for the Bradford district, said: "Young people are supporting the poppy appeal and showing more of an interest, you'd be surprised at how many young people turn up with their parents at the remembrance services. Some young people will also buy poppies and put them on their grandparents' graves."

Mrs Allsopp, who has helped with the poppy appeal in Bradford for 30 years, has been invited to the Royal British Legion Festival of Remembrance at The Royal Albert Hall in London tomorrow, as a thank you for all her hard work.

Coun Hopkins said he believed many teenager were ignorant of the background to Armistice Day and even of the role of the armed forces today.

The Lord Mayor of Bradford, Councillor Choudhary Rangzeb, will attend an Armistice Day service tomorrow at the Cenotaph in Morley Street, Bradford. People are expected to gather from 10.30am and will hold two minutes silence from 11am.

The Kirkgate Centre in Bradford and major shops and supermarkets will also be observing the silence. The Lord Mayor said: "It is a great honour to take part in such an important ceremony."

e-mail: ali.davies@bradford.newsquest.co.uk

WHERE YOU CAN PAY TRIBUTE
  • 9.15am - Keighley. Civic Party assembles at the Town Hall and at 9.30am the parade assembles at Russell Street. At 9.40am it moves from Russell Street. At 10am the Remembrance Service starts at Keighley Shared Parish Church, followed by a parade to Town Hall Square at 10.40am. The wreath laying ceremony at the Cenotaph will be at 11am followed by two minutes silence.
  • 9.45am - Shipley. Remembrance Service at St Paul's Church, Kirkgate followed by Parade to Cenotaph in Crowgill Park. Act of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony is at 10.55am.
  • 10.10am - Steeton. Service of Remembrance at St Stephen's Church, during which wreaths will be placed on the altar. At 11am there will be a wreath laying ceremony at the memorial.
  • 10.25am - Queensbury. Parade assembles in Station Road at side of Victoria Hall, then proceeds up the High Street and into Granby Street at the side of the Cenotaph. The service and wreath laying ceremony at 10.50am will be at the Cenotaph followed by parade to Holy Trinity Church for Service of Remembrance.
  • 10.30am - Bradford: The Lord Mayor and the Lord Mayor's Consort Councillor Choudhary Rangzeb and Mrs Zahida Rangzeb will attend the Service at the Cenotaph at 11am and anyone wishing to join them should meet in the foyer of City Hall at 10.30am. The Parade will leave City Hall at 10.45am. Following the Service, the Vice Lord-Lieutenant for West Yorkshire accompanied by the Lord Mayor will take the salute at the march past in Centenary Square.
  • 10.30am - Clayton. Service of Remembrance at The Parish Church of St John The Baptist, followed by a walk to the Cenotaph in Victoria Park. With the Act of Remembrance and laying of wreaths at the cenotaph at noon.
  • 10.30am - Cullingworth. Remembrance Services at St John's Parish Church, Station Road, and Cullingworth Methodist Church. Following the Services, both congregations will proceed to the Cenotaph, on Halifax Road, for a joint Act of Remembrance and wreath laying.
  • 10.45am - Bingley. Parade to the Cenotaph in Myrtle Park for a Service and wreath laying ceremony.
  • 10.45am - Denholme. Assemble at the top of Parkinson Road at junction with School Street for Parade to the War Memorial in Foster Park for an Act of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony at 11am. At 11.15am, there will be a two minutes' silence, following this people will make their way to Denholme Edge Church for a Service of Remembrance.
  • 10.45am - Oakworth. Remembrance Service and wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial in Oakworth Park.
  • 10.45am - Oxenhope. Service of Remembrance followed by wreath laying ceremony at 11.15am in St Mary the Virgin Church, Hebden Bridge Road.
  • 10.45am - Silsden. Assemble at the Cenotaph, Memorial Gardens, Kirkgate. The service and wreath laying ceremony will be at 11am followed by a procession to The Parish Church of Saint James the Great for the service.
  • 10.45am Wilsden. Act of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial with a two minutes' silence at 11am.
  • 10.50am - Thornton. Assemble at the War Memorial. At 11am the Service of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial.
  • 11am - Addingham. Service of Remembrance followed by a parade to the War Memorial, Main Street. With a wreath laying ceremony at noon.
  • 3pm - Allerton. Service at the War Memorial, Lady Hill Park, off Allerton Road.
  • 1.15pm - Baildon. Service and wreath laying ceremony at Tong Park War Memorial. Parade assembles at Baildon Soldiers' and Sailors' Club at 2pm. At 2.30pm there is a service at Baildon Parish Church with a parade at 3.30pm to the War Memorial, Browgate, Baildon for wreath laying ceremony.
  • 2.30pm - Bolton Woods. Service at the Community Centre followed by wreath laying at the cenotaph.
  • 2.30pm - Eccleshill. Parade assembles by the Bowling Green and proceeds to the War Memorial. The Remembrance Service will be at 3pm with re-dedication of plaques and wreath laying ceremony at the War Memorial in the Recreation Ground, Stonehall Road.
  • 10.45am - Haworth. Remembrance Service at St Michael and All Angels Church. Following service, congregation to make their way to the Cenotaph. The Act of Remembrance and wreath laying ceremony will be at the Cenotaph at noon at the bottom of Bridge House Lane.
  • 3pm - Ilkley. Remembrance Service and wreath laying ceremony in the Memorial Gardens, The Grove. The Lord Mayor and Lady Mayoress Councillor Choudhary Rangzeb and Mrs Zahida Rangzeb will lay a wreath on behalf of the City.