TV ACTOR and comedian Hugh Dennis will be visiting the annual Bygone Buriton afternoon.
Held in St Mary’s Church, it will focus on the villages’ part in the First World War, and will reveal information about four local war graves.
Hugh Dennis will there as an ambassador of the Commonwealth War Graves Commission Living Memory Project, aimed at encouraging people to remember the 300,000 UK war graves.
He said: “I have a very personal connection, as both my grandfather’s fought on the Western Front. “My great uncles also fought and one, my great uncle Frank, died and is commemorated by the at Gallipoli in Turkey.
“We must never forget those who died in the Great War and are buried and commemorated so close to us.”
It is estimated that within three miles of everyone’s home, there is at least one war grave.
Exhibition organiser Doug Jones said: “We joined the Living Memory project to add value to our wartime project.
“We already know a lot about local men who lost their lives, but we are tracking down every one we think took part, about 200, and we are collecting photographs, details of their wartime roles, and other information.
“We are also interested in life at home during the war, and would ask anyone with any connection to Buriton to let us know if their relatives played any part in the war.”
There will also be displays on hop growing and picking, in the parish, until it stopped after World War Two.
There will also be information about the school over the past 150 years, and about early liesure activities such as rabbit and pheasant shoots, and other entertainments and social clubs.
The exhibition from 11am to 4pm (Hugh Dennis will arrive at noon) on Saturday, September 24, is free entry.
Visitors are invited to bring old photographs, newspaper articles or other information about Buriton in the war.
Contact Doug Jones on 01730 231326 or for more information visit the website www.buriton.org.uk.
Visit the website www.cwgclivingmemory.org