THE name of a Cinderford sailor will be added to the town’s war memorial on Friday morning (November 11).

The dedication is one of a number of events across the Forest and Wye Valley this Remembrance weekend.

A parade will start from the Cinderford Town Council offices in Belle Vue Road at 10.45am on Friday headed by Cinderford Town Band.

Heather Harris of the Royal British Legion in Cinderford said: “The parade will halt at the war memorial where a short service will be conducted by the branch padre, Rev Mike Barnsley.

“After the service Rev Barnsley will dedicate a new name on the war memorial, that of Able Seaman Leslie Jackson of Cinderford who was killed in action aboard HMS Hermes off Ceylon – now Sri Lanka – in 1942.

“Wreaths will be laid on behalf of the town council, the district council, Royal British Legion and other units and organisations, and members of the public.

“The parade will dismiss outside the Soldiers and Sailors Club.

There will also be Armistice Day events in Lydney and Coleford on Friday morning.

There will be an act of remembrance and community songs at the clock tower in Coleford at 10.45am and in Lydney schoolchildren will read the roll of honour at the newly-refurbished war memorial in an event starting at 10.30am.

District councillor Bill Osborne said: “I think its really important that children are included in these types of historical events in order to keep the tradition alive in years to come.”

On Remembrance Sunday (November 13) there will be the traditional tributes to the fallen in towns and villages across the area.

In Coleford the parade leaves the police station at 10am with wreaths laid at the clock tower before the 11am service at Coleford Baptist Church.

Members of the Cinderford Royal British Legion will attend a service conducted by Rev Mike Barnsley at the Soudley war memorial at 2.30pm.

In Chepstow, the parade leaves the Welsh Street car park and stops at the war memorial in Beaufort Square for wreaths to be laid before the 11am service in St Mary’s Church.

There is a special concert to remember the 100th anniversary of the Battle of the Somme at the Drill Hall in Chepstow on Saturday night (November 12).

It features the Chepstow Singing Club, Chepstow Chatelaines, Sophie Angharad Goss, Jack Bowtell and Sharon Richards.

It brings together music, prose and poetry with personal perspectives of relatives of soldiers who fought in the battle.