POEMS, songs and tributes flowed in honour of Princess Diana at a Blackpool memorial service on Sunday.

At the service in St John's Parish Church, in the town centre, schoolchildren led prayers and recited their own poems on the theme of A Time to Remember, A Time to Give Thanks.

Songs, including Candle in the Wind, were performed by singers led by Gary Lawson, and vicar the Rev Michael Manley interviewed people from Diana's favoured charities.

They included Jane Hugo of Blackpool Streetlife, who met the princess in 1991, Philip and Judy Woolcock, who became friends with her six years ago after she met their courageous cancer-stricken daughter Louise, Sue Toomer of Aids charity Heal, who paid tribute to her ground-breaking attitude towards Aids patients, and Jennifer Barker of the British Red Cross, who spoke on the princess's landmine campaign.

Blackpool's mayor and mayoress, Councillors Fred and Pam Jackson, and their deputies, Roy and Margaret Fisher, were there, as well as both Blackpool MPs, Gordon Marsden and Joan Humble.

The mayor made a charity appeal, asking people to carry on her work, either by giving time or money to good causes.

"I was very grateful to all those who took part," said Mr Manley, "because it was all pulled together very quickly and people responded magnificently."

The church is open to the public every day from 10am to 2pm.

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