BRITAIN S only remaining Tommy will be the guest of honour at the launch of this year s Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Weston.

BRITAIN'S only remaining Tommy will be the guest of honour at the launch of this year's Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal in Weston.

Harry Patch, aged 109, is the last surviving British soldier who fought at Passchendaele and Ypres during World War One.

He will be accompanied by the Lord Lieutenant of Somerset, Lady Gass, the High Sheriff of Somerset, David Medlock and the mayor of Weston, John Ley-Morgan, to watch the celebrations on October 27, which will be started off with a parade of standards along Weston seafront.

The main event, to be held on the Beach Lawns at 12noon, will begin with the entry of the standards, accompanied by The Avon Glen Pipe and Drums Band, and then a welcome address by county chairman, Major Rikki Peters.

A drumhead service with a flypast of the Army Air Corps Historic Aircraft Flight will follow this, along with a dedication of the County Memorial Stone.

A cannon blast, which will fire thousands of poppies into the air, will then mark the launch of the appeal.

The event, to be held opposite the new Somerset Legion House in Beach Road, will act as a reminder that money is still needed to help serving soldiers, ex-servicemen and dependants.

The new building, to replace the original Somerset Legion House, will carry on providing care for these people.

It will include 47 en-suite bedrooms, restaurant, bar, games room, cinema and a library.