Remembrance events span Barnsley's communities

The Experience Barnsley museum in the Town Hall is staging an exhibition to illustrate the impact of the conflict not only on those who fought, but also on their wives and families at home and visitors are also being invited to help create poppies which will be used to create a memorial wreath, to be laid at the war memorial outside in a children's ceremony on Monday November 12, from 10.45am.

But in addition to the customary Remembrance Sunday services, communities across the borough have been involved in staging special events and the council has worked centrally to co-ordinate as much of that work as possible, with Coun Joe Hayward and Wendy Lowder, the executive director for communities, both involved in ensuring as many of those initiatives as possible are co-ordinated to create a borough-wide reflection on the anniversary.

Groups involved involve the Friends of Wombwell Cemetery, where there will be a focus each day of November on someone who contributed to the war effort, with poppies already in place in Elsecar to mark the locations where those who went to serve and never returned had lived.

There are also short obituaries, giving details, such as Private Martin Griffin, a 36 year old who had lived in the Wath Road area before serving with the York and Lancaster Regiment. He died in January 1916.

Wendy said the objective had been to make sure there were events across the borough, rather than the centenary being marked only in the town centre, with Coun Hayward responsible for much of the effort.

Through November there are many events taking place at a host of locations, with various groups involved.

Others include a commemoration at Owd Martha's Yard community garden in Hoyland, a display at Tankersley Church and a joint bonfire/commemoration event in the village, with events also planned in Dodworth, among other locations.