A new garden of remembrance was officially opened at St Gregory’s Catholic School last Friday November 15 by former Deputy Lord Lieutenant of Kent, Peter Blackwell. It was then blessed by Canon Peter Stodard of St Augustine’s RC Church, in the presence of the Mayor of Southborough Cllr Alain Lewis, and students and staff of the school.
The garden was conceived by the school’s science technician Terry Edkins who, through his passion for nature, inspired students to create it as part of the national Kew Gardens ‘Grow Wild’ program. The garden has grown over the past 18 months from an ‘unloved’ corner of the school to include wild flowers and Flanders’ poppies and is developing into a haven for wildlife.
Shrubs and trees are now being planted in memory of those close to the school who have perished in war and to also mark tragedies around the world. It also provides a home to the remainder of the clay poppies, inspired by the Tower of London installation which the school made last year in remembrance of the 801 Tunbridge Wells men and women who fell in the First World War.
The garden will become a beacon of reflection for the whole school community.
Meanwhile Beacon Academy students were proud to play their part in Crowborough’s Royal British Legion Armistice Service on Monday November 11.
Head Students, Oscar and Isabelle (Year 11) along with Year 7 student, Esther, performed a poignant reading of ‘In Flanders Fields’, the poem by John McCrae which inspired the use of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.
The service at the War Memorial on Chapel Green included a parade of Standards and maroon fire to signal the beginning and end of a two minute silence. “The Last Post” was sounded and a wreath was laid on behalf of the youth of Crowborough by children from Sir Henry Fermor CE Primary School and St Mary’s Catholic Primary School.
