WW1 unique Community Commemoration and Southport Flower Festival

WW1 unique Community Commemoration and Southport Flower Festival

A Community Commemoration, including a 21 site Flower Festival, a gallery of personal stories and images, and poems being read by people dressed in WW1 uniform, will be held in Southport on Saturday 10 November, to remember 100 years since the end of World War One.

The WW1 multi media commemoration at Holy Trinity Church, Hoghton Street, Southport, also includes video and audio reports, schools participation, silhouettes, talks from special guests, and original artwork. There will also be items from WW1 on display including original cigarette boxes, a cartoon book featuring soldiers, medals and more. Children’s activities will be available, including making a tissue-paper poppy wreath. Food and drink, amid street party style bunting, will be served in the Parish Centre next door.

The week long Remembrance event, organised by Trinity Arts, starts on Friday 9 November with a free screening of the movie Journey’s End. On the Sunday there is a Remembrance Service with a two minute silence and the laying of wreaths. On Friday 16 November in the Parish Centre at 1pm, there will be a pianist playing war-time songs, which people can sing along to. All events are free with opportunities to donate to the poppy collection and, at the film screening, to the charity Combat Stress.

Organiser Joy Aldred, of Trinity Arts, said the event was going to be very special. “When people started to respond with personal stories of their families’ involvement in WW1 – and WW2 – we realised this was going to be a very moving experience. We’ve been given prisoner of war diaries and unique insights into people’s lives during both the wars, and we’d like to say a huge thank you to everyone who responded.”

Saturday’s event runs from 10am – 4pm. A full timetable is available on www.trinityarts.org.uk