Memories of War

A series of events take place across the North West today to remember those killed in the two World Wars and other conflicts . The region will fall silent at 11am - the time the guns on the Western Front stopped at the end of the First World War.

Pupils at a school in Lytham have marked the sacrifice made by former pupils in the Great War. Year 9 at AKS which was King Edward VII and Arnold School commemorated the loss of their old boys by making ceramic poppies for each life lost. Head of Art and Design Laura P. Heap planned the project after discovering 33% (73) volunteers had lost their lives.

The Duke of Westminster has named a Chester Rowing Club's new boat after a Great War hero from the city. Lieutenant Thomas Higgins was awarded the military cross, but his family feared his story had been lost.

The family of a Royal Engineer from Chester say they're "emotional" as he was honoured by a rowing club in the city.

Chester's Grosvenor Rowing Club are honouring Lt Thomas Higgins, who was awarded the Military Cross for conspicuous bravery.

As the region prepares for Remembrance Sunday, Terence Monaghan and Colonel Mike Glover, two former members of the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers, talk about what the day means to them and about why we should all mark the day.

This story was shared with us by Jean Dunston. We would like you to send your photos and memories of war with us at granada.reports@itv.com.

In the latest in our series of special reports to mark Remembrance Week, we tell the story of a young soldier from Preston who was killed in Northern Ireland.

More than 700 service personnel died in the conflict as well as thousands of civilians.

Iain O'Connor lost his life just days after arriving in the province with the Queens Lancashire Regiment.

In the run up to Remembrance Sunday, we've been speaking to people in the region about how conflicts past an present have affected them. In the next of our special features we speak to the mother of a young soldier from Lancashire. Iain O'Connor lost his life just days after beginning a tour of duty in Northern Ireland in 1987. Iain, 23 was supporting police on patrol when he was killed when two blast bombs were dropped from a walkway in Divis Flats on to the Landrover vehicle that he was in.

In the next of our special reports marking Remembrance Week we look at the story of a young sailor from Bolton who lost his life in the Falklands War.

John Stroud was only 20 years old when he died along with 13 other sailors after their ship HMS Glamorgan was hit by an exocet missile just days before the war ended.

He left behind a young wife and an 8 month old son.