WW1 Commemoration

Published: 13 June 2018

PRESS RELEASE Sevenoaks Town Council Plan’s to commemorate WW1

At the Finance and General Purposes Committee held on 11th June 2018 the Town Council agreed its plans to commemorate WW1.

Sevenoaks in Bloom and Ribbon of Poppies

Sevenoaks Town Council annually enters parts of Sevenoaks into the South & South East in Bloom competition. The theme for the 2018 entry is to commemorate World War 1 and participate in the national campaign for a Ribbon of Poppies.

The following key projects will be delivered as part of this scheme:

Planting throughout the town will be red themed and poppies planted where possible.
On the Vine Gardens there will be a recreation although smaller in scale of the original archway constructed to welcome soldiers home to Sevenoaks.
There will also be a willow bi-plane of the Sopwith Camel which will also commemorate the 100-year anniversary of the RAF.
Two new ‘Tommy’ seats will be installed one at Upper High Street Gardens and one at the Vine opposite the War Memorial.

Sevenoaks Town Council is grateful to all of those who have already assisted and in particular those who have knitted the hundreds of red poppies received, these will also be displayed at the Vine.

Sevenoaks Town Council want to promote the healthy recent trend of painting and hiding rocks in public open spaces activity particularly for young people, encouraging them away from screens and into the fresh air. For this reason the Town Council has linked this activity to Sevenoaks in Bloom and the commemoration of WW1. The Town Council will arrange for 226 rocks painted by volunteers with poppies to be hidden in public open spaces across the town. The following information will be on the back of the rocks. “Well done for finding me. I am one of 226 to represent a name on the War Memorial. Please take me to the Vine to be part of the Ribbon of Poppies.”

Remembering those who served in WW1.

Sevenoaks Town Council have also teamed up with Matthew Ball, a local historian, and My Sevenoaks Community, to create a further project with the aim of encouraging young people to research and remember those involved in WW1 by writing them a letter to family members or local men who served, as well as nurses and others who contributed to the war effort.

Pro Forma ‘letter’ forms and suggested soldiers and nurses to write to, will be delivered to schools in September and also available for collection from locations within the town.

Terry Malone, a local carpenter will create a bespoke WW1 Letter Box to be placed opposite the War Memorial. Letters are to be written and delivered to the post box between September to November 2018. The letters will also be collated and available to view on websites.

Talks about the War Graves at Greatness Cemetery

Matthew Ball will give talks on the war and those who are buried locally, at Greatness Cemetery. These talks will take place on 27th October 2018, 3rd November 2018 and 10th November 2018 at 10.30 a.m.

On the 11th November 2018 at 1.30 p.m. the Mayor will be at Greatness Cemetery to place crosses on War Graves. All are welcome to attend this commemoration service.

Sevenoaks Town during WW1

Local historian, Ian Walker, will give a talk in the autumn on aspects of the war, including its impact on local people. Details to be published at a later date.