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Community unites for centenary celebrations
Residents from different generations and walks of life have come together to celebrate the centenary of World War I.
Five Hall i’ th’ Wood community groups united for the first time to stage a two day programme of commemorative events held at Greenway Community Centre.
Activities on offer included a poppy making workshop, a WWI exhibition and a re-enactment performed by Dramatic Action, Bolton at Home’s customer drama group.
People were also given the opportunity to research their ancestry and treated to story-telling, face-painting and a visit from the Duke of Lancaster’s regiment.
One of the event’s highlights was a performance by Ernest Matthews, 87, who delivered a variety of monologues from yesteryear and sang “When the Poppies Bloom Again.”
He said: “The Great War was very sad, no doubt about it, but it’s fascinated me all my life. My father was a sergeant and we had a photo of him in uniform on a wall in our family home. I used to look at it all the time.
“When I’ve seen what the resident groups have done for our community to be able to come together to recognise the centenary together, I feel proud.”
Christine Fitton, UCAN Project Manager for Bolton at Home, co-ordinated the project with Caroline Lamprey and Val Hulme from Bolton at Home’s Customer Involvement Team.
Christine said: “I was aware that there was no cross-over between our different community groups and I wanted to bring them together to learn about and support each other. What better way than to work on a project to commemorate the centenary.
“It’s been excellent to see everyone working closely together with a common goal, and especially to see how the skills within the different groups have actually lent themselves to each other. It’s given everyone the chance to share ideas and draw on different strengths to put together what has been a fantastic commemoration of those who fought in World War I.”
The groups involved were the Hall i’ th’ Wood Wonder Woman Group, Hall i’ th’ Wood Community and Environment Group, Needles and Pins Knitting Group, Greenway Community Group, and Hall i’ th’ Wood Pram Club.
Around 250 people attended the events over two days.