BARNARD CASTLE is to expand its Armistice Day commemoration this year in recognition of the centenary of the end of the First World War.
Among the additional activities is the lighting of a huge beacon on Remembrance Sunday. Barnard Castle Town Council is expecting to work with The Bowes Museum, Barnard Castle School, English Heritage and other groups to put on a full day of activities on November 11.
The council’s partnership committee decided during its meeting last week to form a working group with community groups to plan the activities.
Town clerk Michael King said: “Council has already resolved to support the centenary events on Armistice Day which will also be Remembrance Sunday this year.”
In addition to the traditional church service followed by a wreath laying ceremony at the cenotaph in the grounds of The Bowes Museum, there will also be a beacon lighting ceremony at 7pm and a ringing of church bells throughout the town at 7.05pm.
This is to be followed by a Cry for Peace Around the World, which will be read out by the town crier.
Mr King: “Those are the additional things that the Sunday will see on top of Barnard Castle’s traditional church service at 11am, followed by parade, followed by the cenotaph – which is mirrored in the service that is held at the school which also then culminates in the cenotaph ceremony.
“So there is an opportunity during the rest of the day to link other things that are going on to commemorate the centenary and to consider how that might be linked together and create something that enables other people to remember and to commemorate the end of the First World War and its centenary this year.”
Noting the time between the morning and evening activities, committee chairwoman Judi Sutherland said: “There is an opportunity to spend a whole afternoon doing other things if we wanted to, there could be concerts, there could be tea parties, there could be anything – there could be films at The Witham – it’s up to how much do people really want to do.”
Along with its regular activities Barnard Castle School is also planning additional events which will start two months ahead of Remembrance Sunday with pupils from the school completing project work around Armistice Day.
Martin Pepper, from the school, said: “On Sunday we would have our normal chapel service, and go down to the cenotaph with the rest of the town and community.
“We will invite the town back up to the school for some refreshments and also then to see the project work that we have produced with the pupils. It will hopefully be worthwhile for people to spend some time at the school.”
While tentatively the beacon lighting is planned for Scar Top there is a possibility that English Heritage may have its own beacon at the castle – in which case Mr Pepper offered the school grounds as an alternative site for the town council’s beacon.
Simon Bean, head of projects for English Heritage said: “[There is] nothing concrete at this stage. Nationally we are working through what our plans are. There is talk of beacons, we are also a little involved with ’14-18 Now’.
“Danny Boyle has been commissioned to do some national event – it’s all under wraps so no one knows really what it is yet. We have no firm plans at this stage, but those are the things that are on the table.”
Richard Welsby, of The Bowes Museum, said plans were forging ahead to host an exhibition of work that they have been doing with a community group to complete a Roll of Honour for everyone from Teesdale who served during the First World War.
The Roll of Honour was started by the then curator of the museum in 1915 but was never completed.
Anyone interested in getting involved in the working group that is being established to co-ordinate the town’s activities for the day can contact the town council on 01833 690970 or email clerk@barnardcastletown
council.gov.uk.
