ONLY the rustle of leaves could be heard this morning as Reading residents bowed their heads to remember the nation's war dead. 

At 11 o'clock the congregation at Forbury Gardens, which spilled out onto neighbouring roads, fell silent, to remember those that gave their lives in the First and Second World Wars and conflicts since.

The two minute silence began on the 11th hour of the 11th day of the 11th month, the time in 1918 when guns finally fell silent along the Western Front in Europe.

President of the Tilehurst branch of the Royal British Legion, Christine Lewendon and the Mayor of Reading, Councillor Sarah Hacker, laid wreaths on the memorial after the silence.

Calcot Resident, Doreen Everitt-Hughes was also given the opportunity to lay down a wreath, after she lost her husband Jack Everitt, also from Reading, who died aged 23 as a prisoner of war in Germany.

Mrs Everitt-Hughes, now 89, said that she used to visit her first husband's grave in Germany every year on the anniversary until she was 82.

She said: "It is so nice to be able to remember him because I can't fly over to see him.

"He was called up in August 1939 when he was just 18 and 3/4 before he was 19 in the December. He was in the First British Airbourne Division.

"The Tilehurst Royal British Legion give me two wreaths and I lay one here and at the Tilehurst service because I just can't fly over and see him anymore.

"It is nice to have all the little ones here today to hear the stories. They do not understand the sadness but lets hope they never have to experience it. I would have thought after the First World War that people would have learnt.

"Everybody lost someone, it was such a devastating time and it took many years for people to come back to living a normal life."

Year two pupils from Katesgrove Primary School laid their homemade wreaths on the war memorial.

Teaching assistant, Mrs Butler, said that it was the school's tradition to bring the pupils to the service so that they could pay their respects and learn more about the sacrifices made.

She said: "Every class made a wreath to put on the memorial. They're pretty excited about it as we've taught them in the classroom about the importance of Armistice Day."