Sheffield ready to remember

THE fallen of two world wars are set to walk again next month as a brand new history project comes to life for the WW1 100 Years Remembrance.

The eerie silhouette of WW1 soldiers marching to their deaths will light up the side of historic St Nicholas’ Church in High Bradfield whilst ‘There But Not There’ ghost-like Tommies – lifesize and made of see-through Perspex - will sit amongst the congregation at a special service at which the Bishop of Sheffield will preach.

Key soldiers from the area – including Stannington-born Heber Joseph Revitt who became famous after being chosen to blow the ‘last post all clear’ outside the train carriage at Compiegne where the agreement was signed to end WW1 – will also pay a surprise visit to the event via actors from the local Stannington Players.

The event – the start of a two week long WW1 100 Years Remembrance – also marks the official unveiling of a Heritage Lotteryfunded project to uncover the secrets of the Dungworth and Bradfield area in World War Two.

A specially commissioned ‘Parish Poppy’ sculpture made of spent ammunition shells will also be on view for the first time, together with artwork from local schools, and the Bradfield parish magazines of 1918.

The double-unveiling event is set to take place on Friday November 2 at 5.15pm when the outside of the church will be illuminated in breath-taking fashion.

Months in the planning, the dramatic remembrance event will also include a gun salute, bugler, church bells ringing, and be the start of two weeks of events and activity.

A cascade of poppies made by dementia and Alzheimer patients from Northern General Hospital will also be installed in the church for Remembrance Sunday on November 11.

The full programme, which runs from November 2 to 16, can be found in the what’s on listings on page 10.

Rev Alan Isaacson of St Nicholas’ Church said:

This is set to be one of the most dramatic and moving events in the history of the church. Months of meticulous planning has gone into this fortnight and we believe it will be a truly fitting way to commemorate all who died in both world wars in our area.”

The installation has been designed by Sue Hague of Pinkdotinc Design. The Sheffield-based organisation has previously worked on projects including the Olympics 2012, Epson UK and the Rugby World Cup.

All events are free and open to the public.

All profits raised at the commemoration events will go to, Help for Heroes, The Royal British Legion, and St Nicholas’ Church Bradfield.

If you wish to support this event then please make a donation on the following link: https://www. justgiving.com/crowdfunding/ poppy-memorial-trail-2018