Soham Remembers
A festival of remembrance held in St Andrew’s Church for 16 days in November 2018 to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the end of WW1.
The event saw a variety of community groups and organisations come together to plan and co-ordinate the exhibition including the Royal British Legion, all of Soham’s schools, Soham Comrades Band, Soham Heritage and Tourism Group, Soham Knit and Knatter, Soham Rocks and the congregation of St Andrew’s Church.
The church and churchyard were decorated with over 7,000 poppies knitted by local people. Inside the church, as well as displays of knitted poppies, were 16 scenes inspired by the daily life of those left behind and the experiences of servicemen on the front. 'Soham Rocks' contributed over 50 painted stones to the displays whilst Soham Heritage and Tourism provided a number of historical materials including personal mementos and photographs of the 137 Soham men who lost their lives in WW1.
All four local schools (Soham Village College, St Andrew’s Primary School, The Weatheralls Primary School and The Shade Primary School) were involved in the commemoration. Children from St Andrew's Primary School created hand-made/hand-painted poppies for display in the church and the Early Years Foundation Stage classes at The Shade Primary School lent us their paintings of poppies. Year 6 pupils at St Andrew’s Primary School researched WW1 and wrote soldiers’ letters' home which also formed part of the exhibition. A DVD produced by Soham Village College Year 9 students was shown on a loop in the church. The film covered their recent visit to the WW1 battlefields and included readings from war-time poets. Year 6 pupils from St Andrew’s Primary School gave a performance of wartime songs in the church for the community, over 50 people were in the audience.
Soham Knit and Knatter group together with the church flower arrangers created a display commemorating the role of animals including pigeons during the war. This involved knitted pigeons and a wreath of purple poppies. This display was the focus of educational sessions for over 450 school children from St Andrew's School from Early Years through to Year 6 who visited the church in the week leading up to Remembrance Sunday.
Photos of the exhibition are below and can be accessed by clicking on the link below
Soham Remembers November 2018 - Google Photos
