AS Britain prepares to remember the fallen of two world wars and other conflicts, who gave their lives to protect our nation, a special garden for poignant reflection has been unveiled in Preston.

The Mayor of Preston, Councillor Pat Woods, and her consort and husband, Alan, officially opened the Garden of Remembrance in The Mall St George's shopping centre, Preston, with veterans from the Royal British Legion.

Coun Woods said: "It is great a honour to be able to place the first poppy at the Garden of Remembrance."

British Remembrance Day is always held on November 11 -- the day the First World War ended in 1918, when the armistice was signed in Compigne, northern France, at 5am. Six hours later, at 11am, the fighting stopped.

These days a two minute silence is held each year on November 11 at 11am to commemorate those who fell in the First World War and other conflicts.

Poppies are worn to remember the war dead as the flower bloomed along the Western Front battlefields during the First World War, after the ground had been churned up due to the fighting.

Plastic poppies are on sale at the Preston Poppy Shop, unit 71 in the lower food hall of Preston market, and is open from 10am-3.30pm, six days a week, Monday to Saturday.

They are sold by the Royal British Legion, a charity dedicated to helping war veterans, which relies solely on donations to continue its good work.

John Hardiman, spokesman for the Royal British Legion, said: "The Royal British Legion provides vital welfare to any member of the serving and ex-serving dependants of the community.

"In order to supply this service, we rely on the generosity of the British public and we sincerely hope that this year, Preston citizens will be as generous as they always have been."