THE Royal British Legion is inviting Basingstoke residents to wear their poppies with pride on Remembrance Sunday.

The symbolic poppies will be available throughout Basingstoke from "Poppy People" volunteers, situated outside Lloyds Bank, H&M and Iceland, all in Festival Place, Basingstoke.

There will also be a Poppy Appeal fundraising point outside Marks & Spencer's and all the main supermarkets in Basingstoke, including Asda, Sainsbury's, Safeway and Tesco.

The Royal British Legion's main event on Remembrance Sunday will take place at the civic offices at 10.45am, with a two-minute silence at 11am.

A special parade from Southern Road car park to the War Memorial at the Civic Offices will also take place on Sunday. The Salvation Army will lead the parade, followed by the standards from all the associations of the Royal British Legion, including the Royal Naval Association, The Hampshire Association and The Royal Air Force Association - followed by ex-servicemen and women.

Quarter guards from the Great War Society, wearing World War One uniforms, will be mounting an honour guard at the War Memorial as wreaths are laid to remember ex-servicemen and women.

Students from secondary schools in the area will be accompanied by a platoon of soldiers from the Army Technical Foundation College, Arborfield, Reading. Scouts and Guides from the Basingstoke area will also be attending the ceremony.

Meanwhile, The Royal British Legion Corps of Drums will be selling poppies and playing between 12pm and 12 noon on Sunday at Chineham Shopping Centre.