RINGWOOD is gearing up to mark the anniversary of the end of the First World War to remember the "honour and dignity" of its fallen.

The formation of a working party is under way to organise the centenary in 2018 which happens to fall on Sunday, November 11.

Councillor Michael Thierry told the Daily Echo: "We are looking at the 100th anniversary of the First World War.

"I have been in discussion with Revd Terry Roberts in his position as the padre.

"Quite clearly, along with all the other towns I hope, we will put on some significant celebrations for that anniversary weekend.

"It falls on the 11th which fits in very well indeed.

"I have suggested we put together a working party of the town council, members of the British Legion and other interested stakeholders. But these are embryonic thoughts at the moment.

It is understood that the working party would be headed by Sir Desmond Swayne MP as its patron and that help would be sought from a regiment with the Freedom of the New Forest so that a procession could take place throughout the town.

"Some of the plans we have is to look at the war memorial we have which is rather splendid but there are names that are not on the war memorial and we would like to get that updated," councillor Thierry said, who added that the centenary should remember those lost in all conflicts and not just World War One.

"We'd like to have some refurbishment of the war memorial itself," he added.

"From time to time the town council does some works there and this would just be a continuation of that.

"We are hoping to have a very special service. We haven't finalised the plans yet.

"One of the thoughts is we would like to approach the commanding officer to have a detachment celebrate the event. It would be great to have some folk from the military to lead a procession. It would be great to have a brass band too but it's fairly early days."

Councillor Thierry said it was also imperative that the town's schools be involved one way or another.

"Once we have lost sense of our history, we have lost sense of ourselves," he said, speaking of the town's next generation.