Kent County Show to host ‘Every One Remembered’ sculpture and knitted poppy display for First World War memorial
The Kent County Agricultural Society is delighted to announce that the iconic ‘Every One Remembered’ sculpture commissioned by The Royal British Legion will form part of a memorial to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War at the 2018 Kent County Show (July 6, 7, 8).
The unique installation (pictured above, photo courtesy Poppy Scotland) will provide a fitting tribute to the thousands of servicemen and women from the Commonwealth who lost their lives during the First World War. The sculpture, designed by award-winning artist Mark Humphrey features the ‘Centenary Soldier’ standing on a plinth of limestone sourced from the Somme. The statue is finished in bombshell brass, inspired by the artist’s own grandfather who inherited a brass bombshell, decorated by his great-grandfather in the trenches when he fought in the Somme in 1916.
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Joining the ‘Every One Remembered’ statue will be a community-built knitted poppy display which will be hosted inside the newly located Garden Life marquee. To create the memorial, the Kent County Show is appealing to members of the public to send in their knitted poppies. Poppies can be knitted, crocheted or crafted from felt. Contributors can also send in their details to be included in a contributors’ list and can dedicate their poppies if they wish. Following the show, poppies will be donated to local council gateways across Kent to increase the displays planned for November.
The www.everyoneremembered.org campaign by The Royal British Legion is the greatest ever act of Remembrance for the 100th anniversary of the outbreak of the First World War and asks the British public to pay tribute to each and every one of the 1,117,077 men and women from the Commonwealth who fell.
Julie Ness, The Royal British Legion’s community fund raiser for East Kent, said: “The memorial at the Kent County Show is set to be a wonderful display to commemorate this significant anniversary. We are delighted to be working with the Kent County Show team to remember those who lost their lives and to support veterans and their families.”
The ‘Every One Remembered’ sculpture, which has previously been in place in Trafalgar Square London, Cardiff city centre and St George’s Square, Glasgow, is encased in a perspex obelisk which represents war memorials and is joined by thousands of poppies dedicated by the public which flutter around the soldier. Visitors to the show will be able to donate to the Royal British Legion at the memorial next to the Garden Life marquee.
Lucy Hegarty, show manager of the Kent County Show, said: “We wanted to be able to commemorate 100 years since the end of the First World War with a fitting tribute to those that lost their lives. The community knitted poppy display will form a beautiful centre piece to the Garden Life marquee and we hope as many people as possible will knit, crochet and make poppies to add to the display.”
The displays will also be joined by the Household Cavalry Musical Ride which will be the main ring attraction at the 2018 Kent County Show.
To mark the final year of the First World War centenary, The Royal British Legion is inviting the public to take part in a movement to say ‘Thank You’ to the First World War generation who served, sacrificed and changed our world.
The charity is calling on the nation to remember not only the 1.2 million British and Commonwealth Armed Forces who lost their lives, but also those – military and civilian – who played their part on the home front and those who returned to build a better life for the benefit of generations to come.
During the last 100 days of the centenary from August 8 to November 11, the Legion is inviting the British public from all cultures and faiths, community groups, schools, companies and sports clubs to join the movement to express their gratitude to those who gave themselves to the war and its aftermath, and rebuilt a better nation from its darkest hour.
Knitting and crochet patterns, as well as the submission form for the knitted poppy display, can be found here: www.kentshowground.co.uk/poppy
Poppies can be sent to Becky Parrock, Kent County Agricultural Society, Kent Showground, Detling, Maidstone, Kent ME14 3JF.
