Landmarks across County Durham are being lit up in red to commemorate Remembrance Day.
Durham County Council is once again lighting up six landmarks across the county as a stunning visual reminder of the poppies which bloomed on First World War battlefields.
From Wednesday (10 November), until Sunday (14 November), Durham Town Hall, County Hall in Durham, Bishop Auckland Town Hall and the War Memorial in the Market Place at Chester-le-Street will all be lit from 9am until 10pm each day, with the sites best viewed after 4pm.
The Butter Market at Barnard Castle and the Cenotaph and Poppy Fence at The Green in Seaham will also be lit up from 4pm until 7pm during the same period.
Other outdoor displays include a light projection of the well-known war poem For the Fallen on the wall of Clayport Library in Durham and a canopy of poppies knitted by the Women’s Institute on Bishop Auckland Town Hall.
The Women’s Institute has also decorated All Saints Church in Newton Hall, Durham, with over 400 poppies, while an image of falling poppies will be displayed on screens in all council buildings and on outdoor screens at Elvet Bridge and outside Gala Theatre in Millennium Place.
Cllr Amanda Hopgood, leader of Durham County Council, said: “Women’s Institutes, community groups and residents across the county have, this year, created more amazing displays throughout our communities to commemorate the sacrifices our service men and women have made for us all. It is so important that we all reflect on these sacrifices made by members of the armed forces, past and present, and we are pleased to be able to once again light up our buildings in our own tribute to the fallen.
“Our forces personnel make an invaluable contribution to our communities. We are all so grateful for all they have done and continue to do to keep us safe. Remembrance provides us with a unique time when people of all ages come together to pay tribute to our service personnel, and it is an honour to be a part of that this year.”
Nicola Meredith, area manager for the Royal British Legion in the north east, said: “This year, the Royal British Legion is marking its centenary, 100 years since we set out on our founding mission to fight for the rights of those who had given so much and come back to so little.
“Today, the Royal British Legion continues to stand shoulder to shoulder with our Armed Forces community, and we are delighted to see that the torch of Remembrance is still burning brightly across County Durham.”