A MOVING exhibition is being planned at St Andrew’s Church, in Winston, to commemorate the centenary of the end of the First World War and to remember those from the village who served.
Eight men from the village never returned from the conflict.
Now parishioners and people from the village are joining in the Commonwealth War Graves Commission’s There But Not There project as part of their exhibition over the Armistice Day weekend, on November 10 and November 11.
Church warden Christina Barnett said eight small clear perspex Tommy figures had been ordered from the commission to represent the men from Winston who had died.
Another life-sized Tommy is to placed in a pew near the front of the church facing the altar as if praying, she added.
Vicar Revd Eileen Harrop said: “It really is quite powerful. As a church we tend to be subtle and discreet. It is just impactful but not extravagant – as such, on Saturday, we want the atmosphere to be truly about remembrance, reflection and appreciation.”
People arriving at the church during the weekend will be greeted by a full-sized silhouette of a Tommy which is being made by 20-year-old cabinet maker Marcus Weaver. Mr Weaver is also doing research into each of the village’s fallen soldiers which will form part of the displays.
The church warden said: “Marcus coming forward is all the more impactful. If it was a hundred years ago, he would have gone to war, but now we have a young man who enjoys freedom because of the sacrifice that was made.”
Mr Weaver added: “Also one of the soldiers, John Benson Walker, was only 19 when he died. That is one year younger than me and I cannot imagine what he went through at that age. He sacrificed his life so that we can be here to day.”
Plans are for the silhouette Mr Weaver makes to be placed on a carpet of red poppies that are being crocheted by woman from the village.
Mr Barnett said: “We are aiming at about 200 to make the carpet so that it makes a big impact.”
Poppies are also to flow from the font inside the church.
Two poppy displays will be placed in recesses next to the choir stalls. Each will have four crosses representing the Winston fallen.
Mrs Barnett said: “As part of the exhibition we are hoping to get the history or background on each of the eight. We have been successful in getting information on three of them, but there are four we are having difficulty with.”
The church will be open between 11am and 3.30pm on the Saturday for people to see the exhibition and to reflect on the sacrifice that was made by the Winston men. Refreshments will be offered during the exhibition.
Commemoration activities begin on Sunday with an Act of Remembrance service at 9am.
Later at 6.30pm there will be a Remembrance evensong, followed by the sounding of the last post at 6.55pm.
A beacon will be lit by the relative of one Winston’s fallen at 7pm, followed at 7.05pm by the ringing of the church’s bell.
Aptly, the bell has been renamed the “peace bell” for the service.
