YORK’S Festival of Remembrance is to be held on an afternoon for the first time to make it easier for elderly veterans to attend.

And producer Sandie Dunleavy has also made another key change to the format, with two films set to be shown on a big screen featuring newsreel footage from the world wars and more recent conflicts.

The festival, which commemorates and honours all those who have lost their lives in conflicts and has traditionally been staged on a Sunday evening, takes place this year at 3.30pm on Sunday November 6 at York Barbican.

Sandie said it seemed wrong to expect older veterans to come out on a dank and dark November evening when it was possible to hold it during the afternoon.

She said two eight minute films had been compiled from newsreel footage, one featuring the conflicts of the First and Second World Wars, with particular focus on the Battle of the Somme 100 years ago.

The other would feature more recent wars, from the Falklands onwards and including Iraq and Afghanistan.

The music would be accompanied by music on keyboard and saxophone by a Haxby couple, big band leader David Beal and his wife Diane, a music teacher.

The event would also feature the Band of the Yorkshire Regiment, the York Military Wives Choir, the York Philharmonic Male Voice Choir, the Wigginton School singers, the Haxby Community Choir and York singer Jessa Liversidge, and, commemorating the role of ‘empire’ soldiers, there would be a Gurkha playing bagpipes.

The festival has raised more than £150,000 over the years for the Poppy Appeal, which supports the work of The Royal British Legion.

Sandie, a former BBC Radio York journalist, revealed last year that she took on the role of producer because several generations of her family, including herself, had served in the British Army.

She said that when she was asked to take on the role, her reaction was: “How could I say no? It’s a challenge each time - but I love it.”

Tickets for this year’s event, costing £16, £15 and £14, with a discount for seniors and under 14s, can be bought from the Barbican box office between 10 am and 2pm, from Monday to Friday, by calling 0844 8542757 or visiting www. yorkbarbican.co.uk.