TORRENTIAL rain failed to deter crowds who gathered at the weekend to remember the fallen of two world wars and other conflicts.

Old soldiers who had witnessed bloody scenes and lost comrades in action, stood alongside civic leaders and children who were too young to have known the horrors of war.

In Preston, ex-servicemen's and allied organisations gathered for a Remembrance Day Parade and marchpast of the services on the Flag Market.

Groups represented on the parade included the Lancashire and Cumbrian Volunteers, the Preston Sea Cadets, Marine Cadet Detachment, Army Cadet Force and members of the Air Training Corps with a musical accompaniment from The Lancastrian Brigade Band and Corps of Drums.

They were followed by police and fire service personnel, prison officers and representatives from the St John Ambulance Brigade, British Red Cross Society, ex-servicemen's detachments and wreath bearers.

The service was completed with a march of ex-servicemen who wore their medals and berets with pride to fulfil the promise "We shall remember them".

Preston Mayor Coun Joe Hood, and his wife Enid, led the town's aldermen to the Cenotaph for the memorial service conducted by the mayoral chaplain, the Reverend Canon Martin Griffiths.

As the Last Post sounded, standards were lowered for the two minutes silence and the crowd bowed their heads to remember the war dead.

At the close of the National Anthem, the mayor laid the first wreath on the memorial followed by other civic dignitaries, members of the armed forces, Royal British Legion and police. Further wreaths were laid by representatives from more than 40 organisations.