NEWPORT will be commemorating the 100 anniversary of the First World War with an array of events and ceremonies.

The Civic Centre will become a focal point for the commemorations, hosting a flag raising event with attendance from military representatives, open to the public, at 11am on August 4 and commissioning a large poppy to be painted on the grass bank outside to remember the fallen troops.

Tributes to the war are already underway at the Riverfront Theatre where topical films and productions including The Pity of War and The War is Dead, Long Live the War have been shown.

These have both directly addressed the First World War and also made it relevant in the context of modern conflict. Due to showcase on 22 November, “Rites of War” will be one of the Riverfront’s next instalments in memory of the War.

Newport was significant during the First World War as a manufacturing centre and it was here that many women discovered and established their place in the world of work.

The battle of Ypres, May 8 1915, had a particularly damaging effect on the Monmouthshire regiment.

August 4 is also a notable date, marking Newport’s involvement in the hostile capture of a German ship The Belgia in 1914, the centenary of which will be one of the recognised events of The Newport Museum’s war-themed exhibition.

Organised with the help of volunteers, the collection of memories will provide an insight into the truths of this historic event.

On a wider scale, Newport will be involved in a national shared moment of remembrance on August 4 where between 10pm an 11pm the Civic Centre will join the rest of the country in turning off its lights, a poignant gesture in memorial of the fallen.