Volunteers sold poppies in the village but the response this year was better than ever. From sales of these, together with poppies sold in our shops and cafes plus collections at churches and Parish Council events, £8450 was raised for the Royal British Legion charity this year.
Chorleywood Peace Hospice Shop set up a stunning commemorative window display to acknowledge those who fell in the first world war
Three volunteers, Sandra Jones, Theresa Millar & Lesley Edwards
crocheted poppies and painted pebbles for each soldier who lost his life.
“We found the names from a U3A book which is now sadly out of print and from the commemorative plaques in Christ Church and the Memorial Hall. One local gentleman came into the shop to tell us he had spotted the name of a relative so we gave him the pebble when we took the display down and we gave the rest of the pebbles to Russell school to but in their commemorative garden” says Sandra.
Thursday 8thNovember
Staff and children of Christ Church School stood to attention on the Common to create a remembrance poppy.
“We wanted to mark the Centenary of the end of the First War World with an experience that the children would never forget.” ,” explained History Subject Leader, Alison Rickard.
Evening
Chorleywood Bookshop hosted an event where author Peter Hart promoted his book The Last Battle – Endgame on the Western Front
Friday 9thNovember
Christ Church School
Children dressed in period costume and in the school’s Remembrance Service, members of Year 6 read out the names of school pupils who became soldiers who served and died in the First and Second World Wars.
“It was moving, informative and challenging.” says Reverend Anne Lovegrove
Major Dominic Staveley, a school dad, who has served around the world and who now instructs at Sandhurst Royal Military Academy, laid the school’s poppy wreath.
St Clement Danes School
The annual school remembrance service began with a performance from the choir then 29 Boys stood to represent the 29 soldiers who died at war holding a light and reading a biography of each and in some cases extracts from letters written from the men to the school or to their families. After the service guests joined with staff and senior prefects to witness the Head Boy and Head Girl laying wreaths
Evening
Chorleywood Film Club screened powerful WW1 drama Journey’s End
Saturday 10 November
Morning:
A group of young musicians from the local band Brass Bandits, led by Christine Deeley, played a series of war time tunes outside the Post Office as a taster of the evening Concert performed by Chorleywood Orchestra
Afternoon:
A special ‘street’ style tea party was held at the Memorial Hall, hosted by Chorleywood Parish Council.
Reflective passages and poems were read by U3A groups and Jack Smethurst and songs and dances of wartime eras
Were performed by Carol Kristian Theatre School and, JK Dance Academy. Tea and cakes were provided by the WI and RVS
Evening:
Chorleywood Orchestra presented their Remembrance Concert marking 100 years since the 1918 Armistice which included a powerful performance, together with a choir, of “Hymn to the Fallen” by John Williams from the film Saving Private Ryan. They played Adrian Warren’s Prayer for Peace for the first time, a piece, which conveys the isolation of war and loss of life then moves on to aspirations of freedom and peace In the second half of the concert the orchestra accompanied Nicola Tait Baxter in Elgar’s Cello Concerto. Elgar’s Nimrod followed and as the concert drew to a close orchestra members paused to remember
Sunday 11 November
Around 100 Beavers, Cubs, Scouts and Explorer Scouts paraded with their leaders from Chorleywood Scout HQ to the Memorial Hall to take part in the annual Remembrance Service.
It’s the first time in a very long time (at least 20 years) that the scouts have had the opportunity to parade for remembrance and we were delighted that so many young people came to pay their respects in such an important year. Five trumpet players performed The Last Post and Phillip Deeley on French Horn played Reveille, all a very moving experience.