PRIMARY school children from across Wiltshire turned the clock back 100 years when they took part in a First World War celebration.

Organised by the Goldies Sing and Smile charity, the event in the Olympiad in Chippenham on Thursday was attended by the new mayor David Powell, seven schools and more than 300 older people.

Together the children and older people took part in a day long celebration which included performances of wartime songs along with other war related activities.

Many of the children dressed up in wartime costumes for the day with each school performing three different songs.

It was the first event Mr Powell attended since he was inaugurated and he said it was a wonderful start to his mayoral year with.

He said: “It was a really great event to take part in as I have been involved with the charity since it started and it does great work to bring old and young people together, combating loneliness in older people.

“After the children had performed we all got up to sing Pack up Your Troubles and other wartime songs."

The day was one of many events being organised by the charity as part of a First World War project.

Led by the charity’s founder Grenville Jones, the project aims to get schools to engage with older people in their communities and encourage young people to talk, sing and communicate with the elderly.

Schools that took part on Thursday were Colerne Primary, Charter Primary in Chippenham, the Mead Community Primary in Trowbridge, Bishops Cannings Primary, River Mead School in Melksham, Forest and Sandridge Primary in Melksham and St Patrick’s Primary in Corsham.

Many more across Wiltshire and Somerset have also been involved in events in the last few months.

Eleri Hood, music coordinator at Bishops Cannings School, said: “The 25 children we took along had a fantastic day; our school choir was only formed at Christmas so it was our first performance.

For more information about the project and upcoming events go to www.golden-oldies.org.uk/ww1-schools-project.html