SCHOOLCHILDREN in Galashiels have created a poignant tribute to the soldiers from the town who gave their lives during World War One ahead of the Remembrance services across the Borders this weekend.

Pupils at St Peter’s have created a special window display at their Primary School in Parsonage Road to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the Great War.

Each child in the school, from Nursery through to Primary 7, has created a poppy, which have ranged in design from handprints, to tissue paper art and stained glass effects.

And, on the back of each poppy, the children have recorded the name of a person who lost his or her life in the war.

As classroom assistant Jenny Purves explained: “This may have been a family member, a locally born member of the forces or someone sharing the same surname as the child. The children were encouraged to speak to family members, visit war memorials and/or use the website www.everymanremembered.org, which enables a search of the Royal British Legion and Commonwealth War Graves Commission records.

“Many of the classes at St Peter’s have been researching World War One as part of their Social Studies topics and we felt that it was important to create a display dedicated to those that fell during the war.

“This is also of particular relevance with Remembrance Sunday coming up on November 9.” And she added: “We have had some very positive feedback from members of the public, regarding the display, saying how respectful and poignant it is.” The poppy became a symbol of remembrance after sprouting on the battlefields of France and Belgium following the conclusion of the First World War.

And ahead of Remembrance Sunday, dozens of the red symbols of peace have been spotted in towns and villages across the Borders.