KEIGHLEY welcomed its first-ever Chelsea Pensioner to the Remembrance Sunday parade in the town hall square.

Trevor Devine wore his distinctive scarlet uniform as he joined other service veterans for the procession through Keighley.

Thousands of people gathered in central Keighley and outlying villages for parades paying tribute to people who have died for their country in conflicts.

As usual in Keighley, representatives from a wide range of organisations joined past and present soldiers, sailors, aircrew and cadets.

Taking part for the first time were local police cadets, and around nine schools sent pupils and staff to lay wreaths at the war memorial.

The groups, accompanied by members of the public and the deputy Lord Lieutenant Annie Dent, gathered for an initial walk along North Street to Keighley Shared Church, where the Rev Mike Cansdale led the Remembrance Sunday service.

On display outside the church were life-size sculptures on the themes of peace and hope, created by local veterans.

Following a march back along North Street the traditional Remembrance ceremony was held in a packed town hall square, including the laying of wreaths and the playing of the Last Post.

Veterans and civic leaders were among those who were treated to refreshments afterwards, this year at Keighley Civic Centre because the Drill Hall was undergoing refurbishment.

Keighley funeral directors Melia Powell, whose premises lie alongside the town hall square, also laid on refreshments for anyone present.

Oakworth Methodist Church was packed for a Remembrance Sunday service. Church congregations, uniformed organisations and residents of all ages gathered in Holden Park for a ceremony by the war memorial.

After the parade, Oakworth Gala Queen Hannah Morris unveiled a new roll of honour in nearby Oakworth Community Hall, commemorating people from the village who had served during the First World War.

The product of 18 years of research by volunteers from Keighley’s Men of Worth Project, the roll has 475 names, including 88 who died in the war.

On Armistice Day in Oakworth, five poppy crosses were placed in Dockroyd Graveyard on family graves that have war memorial inscriptions.

The local soldiers included Privates Joseph Simpson and Arthur Moore, Lance Corporal William Norman Coates, and Second Lieutenants John Paget Sugden and John Clifford.

Among schools taking part in the Keighley parade on Sunday was University Academy Keighley, which also had a display in school of poppies knitted by students. They observed a two-minute silence at 11am on Monday, Armistice Day.

Children and staff from Parkside School and Cullingworth Primary School followed their annual tradition of gathering around the village war memorial on Friday.

Poetry was read by head boy and girl Josh Schofield and Millie Rhodes, who also laid our wreath, overseen by the Rev Suzy McCarter, and Parkside’s pastoral mentor the Rev Robert Johnson.

Children from Bridgehouse Nursery and Pre-school in Steeton made an act of remembrance at the village war memorial on Friday by laying a giant poppy they had made.

Senior manager Donna Barnes said: “We have been doing this for a number of years now and I know the parents and carers think it is a touching idea and important that the children understand about remembering the fallen.”

The Royal British Legion held its usual small service in the town hall square on Thursday, then on Armistice Day veterans were joined by members of the public, and pupils from St Joseph’s Primary School, for an 11am service at the war memorial led by the Rev Jonathan Pritchard.