Cheshire remembers

A family day of activities, music and stories to commemorate the First World War took place in the historic grounds of Tatton Park’s Old Hall, Knutsford on Friday.

A Soldier’s Story: Tatton Park Remembers and Cheshire East Reflects’ family concert were held to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of the First World War.

The video below features images taken during the event, which was free to attend.

As part of A Soldier’s Story: Tatton Park Remembers, visitors helped to uncover the past by tracing a local soldier and his individual wartime story using historical artefact handling, family history research, craft, creative writing and storytelling.

In the afternoon, Cheshire East Reflects’ concert featured performances from Staffordshire Military Wives’ Choir, Cheshire’s own Foden’s Band and Sacred Sounds, which told the story of British India’s involvement in the First World War.

There were also readings and introductions from Archdeacon of Macclesfield Ian Bishop, mayor of Cheshire East councillor Lesley Smetham and Cheshire East Council leader Rachel Bailey.

The concert was part of the council’s ‘Cheshire East Reflects’ four-year programme of remembrance of the sacrifice by the people of Cheshire East during the First World War.

The programme’s final commemoration events, called ‘When the Light Goes Out’, will take place during Armistice weekend in November and will be free to attend.

The first will be held in Crewe town centre on Saturday 10 November and will focus on the survivors of the war.

The second event will take place on Sunday 11 November, at Tatton Park, and will be based on the theme of ‘the fallen’. During the day, a commemorative flame, which has been burning at Tatton Park since 2014, will be extinguished.