YORK is gearing up for events this weekend to help mark the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

Starting on Friday morning, the Ex-Railways Servicemen Association of York is holding a wreath laying service at the Eastern Railways war memorial on Station Rise, from 11am.

Chairman of the association, Shaun Holdridge, said: “We welcome all ex-railway servicemen to attend our service and help keep the memory alive.”

City of York Council will be also be supporting different citywide commemoration services.

On Sunday, Piper Higgins will play Battle’s O’er at 6am, on the steps of the Mansion House escorted by the Lord Mayor of York, Cllr Keith Orrell.

Services of remembrance will be held throughout York on Sunday, with a special service of Thanksgiving and Commemoration at York Minster at 9.30am with words from The Archbishop of York, Dr John Sentamu.

Following that there will be the annual parade through York for the Service of Remembrance, starting at the Memorial Gardens at 11am where a minute’s silence will be observed before the final names are read from the King’s Book of York Heroes by The Lord Mayor, Cllr Orrell.

The King's Book of Heroes contains the names of nearly 1,450 men and two women from York who lost their lives through the First World War. The names have been read publicly from October 3, in chronological order of when they died, ending on Remembrance Sunday.

At Haxby Memorial Hall on Sunday there will be a multi-media event between 2pm – 6pm to mark the centenary.

Guests will be able to experience period film and music, an archive display and activities for young people and light refreshments being served.

A concert of remembrance will be held at The Church of St Mary, Bishophill Junior at 5pm with choral music and readings on the lives of Bishophill military and civil personnel lost during the First World War.

St Lawrence Church will also be hosting a musical nod to the armistice, with an evensong led by students of St Lawrence Parish Church in honour of the centenary at 6pm.

The children will also be creating a lantern for each of the 158 soldiers who are named on St Lawrence's memorial. The lanterns will light up the churchyard from 6pm.

Between 6.30pm and 7.30pm Battle’s Over: A Poppleton Tribute 100 Years of Remembrance will take place on Poppleton Green, with a band, choir and bugler.

St Olave’s, Marygate Lane, is planning a service of music and readings at 7pm, including Mozart’s Requiem.

There will also be a services in Elvington. A parade of scouts, cubs, guides and brownies will march with the scout band from the centre of the village at 10.30am to the Yorkshire Air Museum for a service at 11am.

Rawcliffe Remembrance, Rawcliffe Parish Council is lighting beacons of light, a tribute to the end of the First World War between 6.15pm – 8pm.