Unveiling and Dedication of the new Dearne Towns War Memorial

Frequent readers of my blog will know that the reason I have time to write blogs, visit War Memorials and do research in Barnsley Archives is that I have a couple of annoying illnesses which limit my capacity to do a full day's 'proper' work.  They also interfere with my ability to get around - I no longer drive and walking is best done when I have someone to lean on.  However that doesn't stop me having a good time if I try and last weekend was a really good one.  

The OH is a keen CAMRA (Campaign for Real Ale) activist and on Saturday we managed to combine visits to photograph War Memorials (three new ones found hidden in Darton Church) with a beer festival at the Wortley Men's Club where he had to take part in the presentation of their Barnsley CAMRA Club of the Year Award.  On Sunday it was the long-awaited dedication of the new memorial at Bolton upon Dearne Cemetery, followed by a trip to ASDA (OK, not so exciting but the shopping still has to be done!)

Now the upshot of this gadding around is that when I woke up on Monday morning everything hurt and some bits hurt and were stiff as well - I was doddering around like a zombie for most of the day, not helped by a four hour round trip (on public transport) to Sheffield for one of my regular hospital appointments.  As a result I have only just (Tuesday morning) managed to pull myself together to write about the ceremony at Bolton upon Dearne on Sunday morning - sorry about the delay - I think I may have just talked myself out of any deadline limited jobs that might have been on offer too!
 

Peter Shields opening the ceremonies (all photos by NC)

The Dearne Memorials Group, Peter Shields, Peter Davies and Peter Finnegan have been working towards this day for a long time.  Thousands of pounds have been raised and the stonemasons, C T Butterfield and Sons, were good enough to start work without the full monies having been paid, so don't hesitate to drop something in one of their collection buckets or donate via the Dearne Memorials webpage if you get the chance.

The ceremony was well attended with Deputy Mayor Councillor Ken Richardson and Leader of the Council Councillor Steve Houghton present along with representatives from the local British Legion and Scouts Groups bearing flags, a police bugle player and a well behaved group of local Dearne Valley school children who carried out the actual unveiling.  As you can see from the photo above there were also a trio of re-enactors in WW1 uniform who added a poignant note to the proceedings, especially as one of them looked to be quite young, just as our soldiers were when they went enlisted in 1914-1918.  The whole thing was captured by a crew from BBC Look North and the piece was shown on the Sunday evening news.

Peter Shields reminded us that the memorial bears the names of 295 men and women from the Dearne towns of Bolton, Goldthorpe and Highgate.  210 of them had been miners.  Fr C R Schaefer, vicar of Goldthorpe and Hickleton, blessed the memorial and later the Revd Karen Beechham from the local Furlong Road Methodist Church spoke a few words.

Children from local schools laying wreaths

The children played a role throughout the ceremony, working as a team to unveil the memorial, laying wreaths and later placing poppy crosses to remember lost relatives.  It was great to see them taking part and I am sure they will remember the day for a very long time.
 

A trio of WW1 re-enactors in costume paying tribute

Tea and cakes were on offer in the Methodist Church afterwards where I had a chance to see many more of Peter Davies' photos of local Memorials and stained glass windows.  I made a point of shaking Peter Shield's hand and telling him, "A job well done".

 

The Inglenook Fireplace memorial at Old Lacewood School site

Afterwards the OH and I walked up to see Bolton upon Dearne's original memorial, at the former Bolton Junior Boys' School site on Furlong Road which was also open for the day.  Rescued by a group of local people a few years ago it stands in a small garden just set back from the road. Although there is a memorial plaque in St Andrew's Church (which I haven't got a photo of yet) for a long time the memorial at the school was the only one easily accessible by the whole community.  It remembers 45 men who had been scholars at the school.  The group which support this memorial have researched the names and are in the process of writing a book about the men and the history of the area.

Bolton upon Dearne and the Dearne Towns now have a new central memorial, but I do hope that all the smaller memorials around the district are not now neglected in its favour.  I am sure that won't be the case ... but just a thought.  Bring them all to the attention of the public in these centenary years, and find those hidden ones!

WW2 Memorial in Furlong Road Methodist Chapel

One last thing - as the OH and I were going out of the door of the Methodist Chapel we spotted this - it is a small brass plaque to the "Sacred Memory of the Men of Bolton upon Dearne who during the War of 1939-1945 in the Service of their Country Paid the Supreme Sacrifice".  In other words it's a War Memorial by the Imperial War Museum's definition, presumably rescued from the older chapel next door when the congregation move to the new building.  I'll be adding this to the Barnsley War Memorials Project log next ... so please remember this ... even the smallest plaque on a table, a vase, a cross, a chair, can be a War Memorial and they should all be respected equally!

Roundup of Barnsley WW1 Centenary Events this Weekend

I was already aware of a couple of WW1 centenary events arranged for this weekend, but when I bought a Barnsley Chronicle this morning I was surprised to see that there is quite a lot going on if you know where to look.

For me the most important is the dedication of the new Dearne Towns War Memorial at Bolton upon Dearne.  After all it's not every day Barnsley gains a brand new, long awaited, War Memorial.
 

Completed memorial ready for dedication (photo from Peter Davies)

The dedication will be at 11am in the Bolton upon Dearne Cemetery, everyone welcome, lots of room for people to view the new memorial.  It lists nearly 300 men and women who gave their lives during the First and Second World Wars from Bolton upon Dearne, Goldthorpe and Highgate. There are some pictures of the memorial under construction here along with an image of the list of names that has been seen around the area for the past year publicising the campaign to raise money for the memorial.

Also on Sunday:

Darton All Saints Church will be open for silent prayer and reflection between 12 noon and 1pm and 7.30pm to 8.30pm. 

Display of photos and short biographies of the WW1 Fallen at St Edwards (photo from KingstoneHistory)

St Edward the Confessor at Kingstone will be holding a WW1 vigil service at 4pm with a display of pictures and information about the men on the their memorial plaque. 

Penistone Royal British Legion will be holding a short remembrance service at the war memorial in the Market Place at 11am.  Remember that a book was recently published about the men on the Penistone Memorial, I wrote a post about it here.

At Emmanuel Methodist Church on Huddersfield Road at 9.45am on Sunday Alison Saxby is talking about the Ministry of the War Graves Commission.

On Monday:

The Royal British Legion will be at Asda on Monday from 10am to 4pm with their stall.  They will be selling a book about the Barnsley Pals along with their usual fund-raising items.

Ardsley Christchurch are holding events all day, beginning with Morning Prayer at 8.30am.  From 9am to 4pm there will be refreshments available and a presentation will be running twice an hour for 15 minutes about the 153 men who feature on their War Memorial plaque.  At 8.45pm there will be an evening vigil service.

Billingley History Group are holding a film show with refreshments, presented by Jackie and Andrew Oates, in the Village Hall at 7.30pm on Monday on the men who are named on their two memorials.  At the end of the evening the intention is to walk down to the memorials to light candles there.

At Cudworth St John the Baptist Church there will be Evensong at 6pm followed by a reading of the names on the War Memorial.  A book about each and every man on the Cudworth Memorial called 'Lest Cudworth Forgets' (£5 - don't pay more on ebay!) is available from the Cudworth Local History and Heritage Group who meet at the Cudworth Centre of Excellence (aka the library) on Wednesday mornings, 10am to 12noon.

The Church of St Thomas and St James at Worsbrough Dale is having a time of reflection and prayer at their War Memorial at 4pm on Monday afternoon.
 

The memorial at St Luke's, Worsbro' Common in the 1920s
before the railings were erected (photo from Janet Shafer via Facebook)

At St Luke's Church Worsbrough Common on Monday at 3pm there will be a service of remembrance in the church grounds where their War Memorial is situated. The church is especially appealing for anyone who lost relatives in WW1 to come along.  If it rains arrangements have been made to hold the service in the Church itself. 

Worsbrough Village Church, St Mary's, is holding a World War One vigil from 10.30am.  There will be a short act of worship with everyone welcome to attend the event which will continue until 12.30pm.  Their war memorial plaque is inside the church and this is a great opportunity to visit it and remember relatives.

The Holy Trinity Church at Thurgoland will be open for reflection between 2pm and 4.30pm on Monday with a talk and reflection on how war affects families at 7pm given led by church member Matthew Nicholson.  (I have no pictures of the memorial plaques and rolls of honour that I know exist in Thurgoland church ... please could someone take some photos for me?  Contact barnsleyhistorian@gmail.com if you can help.)

Silkstone All Saints Church will be open all day on Monday for prayers, meditation and reflection and there will be a candlelit vigil between 10pm and 11pm - which runs alongside the national 'Lights Out' event.

Darfield's impressive WW1 Memorial plaque in All Saint's Church (photo by me!)

Darfield All Saints Church will also be open on Monday from 10am to 12 noon and from 4pm to 7pm.  The Church registers will be available for people to view and inside the church, together with some beautiful memorial windows and plaques, is a very unusual memorial, the battlefield cross that marked the grave of Charles Sorby, the vicar's son, who was killed in WW1.

Hoylandswaine's St John the Baptist Church will be open for prayer on Monday and there will be candlelit vigil between 10pm and 11pm.

Emmanuel Methodist Church on Huddersfield Road are holding a combined event on Monday evening.  At 7pm there will be a Concert of Remembrance with Dodworth Miners' Welfare Brass Band and the U3A choir.  Entry by ticket only - ring Barnsley 293759 for more information.

If I have missed anyone out please get in touch - and please let me or the Barnsley War Memorials Project via Facebook or Twitter, know about your WW1 Centenary Events for the next four years.

Lest We Forget!