Almost 1,400 pupils filed into the sports hall at the Alun School in Mold to the solemn beat of a single drum as the school choir sang a lilting lament.

The room was packed for a Remembrance Assembly co-ordinated by assistant head, Dr Tim Erasmus.

He had invited locally based entertainer Martin Barry who is currently touring with his show called ‘Time to Remember’ which includes Alun School pupil, Callum Norman and former pupil Lauren Ramsey among the cast.

The hall fell silent as the veteran performer marched on stage dressed as a Chelsea Pensioner and talked about his grandfather who had fought in The Great War. He spoke too of war heroes he had known as a child who had returned from the Front Line scarred physically and mentally. They regarded themselves as the lucky ones, he said, despite horrific injuries and traumatic memories that would live with them for the rest of their lives.

The youngest boy to fight in The Great War was just 12 and the youngest to die in action was 14, so a show of hands of students in the hall of the same age was all the more poignant, especially as the school, first as a county school then as a grammar school, lost 40 of their own over both World Wars.

A number of Alun School pupils who are members of army, air and sea cadet corps or are scouts and guides stood to attention throughout as the school heard Theatre Arts School graduate Lauren Ramsey sing ‘How Does a Moment Last Forever’ and Year 9 student Callum Norman, 13, give an animated performance of ‘Those Magnificent Men in their Flying Machines’ to huge applause.

The Remembrance Assembly drew to an end with a musical tribute ‘One Hundred Years’ written and sung by Martin Barry followed by a rendition by Dr Erasmus of ‘For the Fallen’.

As the words ‘They shall not grow old..” resonated across the hall every head bowed in respect, and remained bowed as a band of four buglers from the school orchestra played ‘The Last Post’.

A minute’s silence followed broken only by the footsteps of 1,400 youngsters filing out of the sports hall without a word spoken.

As morning lessons began in classrooms across the Alun School campus Martin Barry, who lives in Gwernymynydd, summed up the experience.

“I was very impressed with the way we were received, and the way the students responded.

“When you see all those young faces who 100 years ago might have been called up to fight, it really gets the message home.

“Our show is all about remembering. No matter how many years go by it’s important that we never forget.”