REGULAR worshippers at Halesowen's Hasbury Methodist Church are urging their neighbours to join them in a special celebration for Remembrance Sunday on November 9.

The final section of their service will take place in the church garden where they plan to pay tribute to 50 soldiers from Halesowen who gave their lives in the Great War, by planting 50 poppy crosses to represent each of them.

Centenary commemoration co-ordinator Eileen Adams said: "We would love to hear from any of the relatives if they would make contact with us.

"Now we are 100 years down the line, it gets ever more difficult to trace relatives. Some of the roads where they lived, don't even exist anymore.

"We will spend the final 20 minutes of the service outside when we will be covering a cross with poppies and singing our final hymn."

Hasbury Methodists are also set to help resurrect the Christmas Carol Service at Halesowen Town Football Club after a 10 year absence.

Former Halesowen chairman Ron Moseley said: "The carol service used to be extremely popular and we would normally fill the Harry Rudge Stand.

"I can remember the very first one we held. It was a bitterly cold Sunday and there was a mist hanging over the ground. But in the floodlights, it added to the atmosphere and captured everyone's imagination.

"We would get representatives from other churches and some of the players would come.

"It was great to see both the club and the community coming together and it was a great shame the service died.

"I've always maintained that football is more than 90 minutes."

The service will take place on Sunday December 21 at 3pm and all are welcome.