A particularly poignant Remembrance Sunday was marked with ceremonies throughout the district as residents came together to commemorate the war dead.

And scores of people joined the Mayor of St Albans, Cllr Geoff Harrison, at the War Memorial at 11am on Tuesday to observe the two-minute silence.

The Mayor led the St Albans parade and service on Sunday in the centenary year of the outbreak of World War I.

Old soldiers from the Royal British Legion joined youngsters from air, sea and army cadets as well scouts and guides in the procession to the newly-restored War Memorial at the top of St Peter’s Street.

Joining them were representatives of HMS St Albans, representatives of different faiths, district councillors and aldermen and St Albans MP Anne Main.

The procession and service was watched by crowds of people, both on the route to the service and at the war memorial itself.

During the service, scouts read prayers to commemorate their participation in World War I as coast-watchers, messengers and first aiders.

Standard bearer Norman Davies said: “I am sure I also speak on behalf of all the veterans who took part in the Remembrance parade on Sunday when I express my appreciation for the very warm reception we received.

“To be applauded as we marched from one end of St Peter’s Street to the other was both surprising and very, very moving. Thank you St Albans.”

Ceremonies took place in many other parts of the district.

Town Mayor, Cllr Mary Maynard, was at the head of the Remembrance Day procession in Harpenden where 1st Harpenden Guides placed a wreath on the memorial consisting of poppies made from Hama Beads as opposed to standard designs.

The 16-strong troop was re-formed in February and the girls have worked with the local British Legion to understand the sacrifices made by earlier generations and to raise money by knitting poppies and filling Smarties tubes with small change.

Over 250 people joined the Remembrance Day march in London Colney led by piper Mark Bisset.

The crowd had swollen to over 1,000 by the time poppy wreaths were laid at the High Street memorial.

Addressing the service, parish council chairman, Malcolm MacMillan, paid special tribute to the 53 villagers who had died in World War I and the 18 young orphans at the London Colney Pastoral Centre, all of whom were 16 when they were sent to the trenches. None of them returned.

The names of those from Sandridge who died in the two wars were read out at the Lychgate at St Leonard’s Church on Sunday where wreaths were laid by representatives of local groups in memory of villagers who had given their lives. The Act of Remembrance was joined by around 120 people.

And in Wheathampstead, windmill poppies made by children in the village in a We Will Remember Them project made a fitting backdrop to the war memorial.

The poppies were made in the village primary schools and by youth organisations.