WWI Centenary memorial - Attleborough, Norfolk
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SMacB
N 52° 31.082 E 001° 00.977
31U E 365401 N 5820506
A poignant First World War memorial in the heart of Attleborough, created by students for the WWI centenary.
Waymark Code: WMXERZ
Location: Eastern England, United Kingdom
Date Posted: 01/03/2018
Views: 0
"Pupils from Attleborough Academy Norfolk made the poppy out of 500 pebbles - with some painted black to mark soldiers who didn’t return and red for those who did.
With help from historians, they then wrote the names of all the soldiers from Attleborough who fought in the war onto each pebble.
The idea for the poignant memorial came from eight-year-old Imogen Tyrer, after her mother Rowena, a teacher at the academy, asked for help with the project.
Imogen, a pupil at Attleborough Junior School, said she was inpsired by her history lessons.
“I thought we could do something that involved the war and that was very big. I find it fascinating how things have happened in history and how they are passed down to people today.
“I am really happy that the poppy has been made from just an idea.”Mrs Tyrer said that most of the names were still well-known in the town.
“I recognise the majority of names from children at school, which is amazing.
“Some of the children back then who signed up lied about their ages, so they wouldn’t have been much older than the pupils we teach, so it’s really about connecting past and present,” she added.
The project quickly became a community effort - with the local Ridgeons, Monarch Lanscaping, Travis Perkins, teachers past and present and the town council stepping in to help.
Town mayor Karen Pettitt said:
“This is such a wonderful idea and it really makes you think.
“Once again it shows what a great community spirit Attleborough has. I was very pleased to be able to help with the finishing touches of installing it.”Mrs Pettitt encouraged anyone with photos or memorabilia of Attleborough’s involvement with the war to come forward and help with plans for a display.
The memorial was officially unveiled on Sunday, August 3 2014 at 3pm, followed by tea and cakes over at Town Hall."
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A pair of plaques on the memorial read:
THIS POPPY COMMEMORATES
THE 100th ANNIVERSARY OF WW1.
THE STONES HAVE THE NAMES
OF EVERYONE FROM THE TOWN
WHO WENT TO WAR.
THE ONES ON THE RED STONES
RETURNED AND SADLY THE ONES
ON THE BLACK STONES DID NOT.
LADIES NAMES HAVE BEEN
WRITTEN IN PINK.
WITH THANKS TO PUPILS
OF ATTLEBOROUGH ACADEMY,
MONARCH LANDSCAPING,
TRAVIS PERKINS,
RIDGEONS,
ROSEDALE FUNERAL HOME
AND MR C. CLARKE.
ORIGINAL IDEA BY
IMOGEN TYRER AGED 8 YEARS.