ACTS of remembrance for those who died in two world wars and other conflicts took place across the Forest and Wye Valley.

There were parades and services in towns and villages as well as fund-raising concerts in aid of the Poppy Appeal.

A potential row at St Briavels over white poppies was averted when it was agreed that only the traditional red poppies would be worn to the Remembrance Sunday service.

A proposal by St Briavels Parish Council to place a wreath of white poppies on the war memorial had previously been scrapped after opposition emerged.

At Lydney the parade was led by a poppy-festooned classic car driven by Andy Morgan-Watts of Woolaston.

He had spent the week with his 1927 Austin Clifton in the town drumming up support for the Poppy Appeal.

Piper Ron Moody, of the Newport Pipes and Drums, played a lament from the balcony of the Greenman Backpackers hostel – the former British Legion club – in Chepstow as wreaths were laid, in heavy rain, on the war memorial. Two buglers from 1 Rifles at Beachley then sounded Last Post.

Forest MP Mark Harper joined pupils at Newent Community School for their act of remembrance on Friday.

A steam train, built as part of the war effort in 1944, was suitably decorated with a giant poppy for Armistice weekend on the Dean Forest Railway.

More than £600 was raised at the Coleford Festival of Remembrance in aid of the Royal British Legion with an evening of music by the Forest of Dean Area Wind Band and the Coleford Community Choir, both conducted by Sam Davies. 

The wind band, made up of talented youngsters and some adults gave a spirited performance including pieces from the Hunger Games and Game of Thrones. 

The mixed voices of Coleford Community Choir performed a combination of popular, spiritual and love songs accompanied by Howard Gibbard on the piano and Stan Harris on the drums.

There were also poignant readings of poems written by Irene Cullis, grandmother of the conductor, who was born in 1914.

•See this week’s Review for more photographs.