Armistice day beacon to be seen 'across Chichester'

The beacon will be set up on the Trundle, an Iron age hill fort on St Roche's Hill, and will feature a torchlit procession to commemorate the soldiers who died during the Great War.

Tim Weeks decided to begin organising the event as 'a way of bringing home how many people actually were killed'.

He said: "The beacon is part of a national chain of around 13,000 across the country.

"I was out for a walk on the trundle and the thought just came to me." Tim had the idea of adding to the event surrounding the beacon by getting hold of wax torches to represent each solider lost in WWI.

"You will be able to see it from most of Chichester."

With volunteers, Tim hoped to get the number of torch bearers to 563, to represent the lives of soldiers lost in Lavant, West Hampnett, West Dean, East Dean, Singleton and Chichester itself.

Part of the website, www.southdownsnationalpark.co.uk, reads: "We can hardly begin to imagine how big a hole the loss of all those young men left in the City and villages, which we call home.

"How many children and grandchildren were never born because the man who should have been their father and grandfather died, aged 19, on the Somme? Carrying a light one night in November is one small way that we can honour them."

Tim hosted four other bonfire events for the turn of the millennium, the Queen's golden jubilee, diamond jubilee and Her Majesty's 90th Birthday all on Court Hill in East Dean.

To volunteer, or for further information email [email protected] or call 01243 811992.