HUNDREDS of people attended York's Festival of Remembrance which was held at a new venue today.

The annual fundraising event for the Royal British Legion’s Poppy Appeal was staged at Manor CE Academy in Millfield Lane, Nether Poppleton, instead of its traditional home at the York Barbican.

The festival featured the Band of the Yorkshire Regiment with female singers, plus York’s “busiest singer and choir leader” Jessa Liversidge, who sang a selection of songs including On My Own, Let There Be Peace On Earth and Here’s To The Heroes.

The event also featured an Andrews Sisters Tribute act singing Boogie Woogie Bugle Boy and Don’t Sit Under The Apple Tree, musician Jasmine Evans performing Victor’s Tale, another musician Laura Skyers played Morricone’s La Califfa, another work from the pen of Rossano Galante, and Jessa was involved in a Last Night of the Proms-style finale.

Sandie said that the change of venue was no issue, and hailed the event as a "big success".

She was, however, not sure whether the next event would be staged in the school’s auditorium or make a return to its original home at the York Barbican.

Speaking to The Press earlier this week, Sandie added that the festival’s annual slot at York Barbican had never been free. “On the contrary, it was expensive,” she claimed.

York-based groups, clubs and community organisations can have a concessionary day’s hire of the Barbican as part of a City of York Council lease agreement with its operators, SMG.