Over the years the Remembrance Ceremony period of “Silence” had been reduced from two minutes to one minute. Enough of us thought that although minor, this did make a change to the dignity and purpose of the Ceremony.
We opted to go back to two minutes, the original purpose was that the first minute was remembering those that did come home and their families, the second minute is remembering those that made the ultimate sacrifice and never came home. The ceremony is not “owned” by anyone, and if people feel strongly about it then the one minute can be brought back at anytime. It just feels right to spend a few minutes in silence when we look at the hustle and bustle of life today.
Past Photo
Names North
North
Names West
West
Names South
South
Names East
East
The South Face (Rear) is empty, but chisel marks at the bottom suggest something had been fitted? All images are CC BY-NC-ND West Allotment Local History Group
Unveiling Ceremony 1925
The memorial stood on its own, metal railings on all four sides. Erected by public subscription of approx £450 at the time.
We Care
Some of the small team who try to keep the memorial spick & span. The actual monument is listed, all works have to be by the local authority, so we clean the modern paving slabs, keep the weeds away and tidy of the hedges.
Remembrance Sunday 2023
2023 – The day before – Dressed with flags. The poster on the railing is by the local nursery children, they pop in a few times each year.
The Angel
A close up, she is showing the passage of time, it adds to the dignity of the memorial
A view you cannot normally see. The design was by a schoolboy from the Royal Grammar School, the prize was £10, no evidence exists to say he actually received the prize?
Memorial 10th November 2024
Shortly after the Service. Over 100 people and 20 children from St Marks Church Brownies & Rainbows attended the service
2025 marks 100 years since the memorial was first dedicated
2025 will mark 100 years passing since the dedication of the Memorial in 1925, it does seem apt to mark this passage of time by including a few elements of the original 1925 ceremony, such as a few white lillies around the base.
We would not want to put anything on the actual monument itself, the bare and stark lists of names displayed are simple and dignified, to cover them would be missing the point of the monument.
The 2025 rededication was carried out by our vicar, The Rev Rae Caro, of St Marks Church. To show our thanks, a collection on the day raised £40 for the church. very much appreciated and thank you to the community for donating.
2025 A white lilly wreath laid by Kelly Woods
Remembrance 2025