Thank you to all who shared in the very moving Service of Remembrance for the Barnbow Lasses held in Manston Park on Monday 5th December. It could not have happened without the help and support of several people and organisations, whose assistance proved invaluable.
We would like to thank Councillor Pauleen Grahame for her support and financial help, along with Leeds Parks & Countryside Dept for their great work in planting up the flower bed and providing chairs and the PA System. Churches Together in Leeds 15, led by Rev Carolyn James of Manston St James Church, who provided the poignant Order of Service. The Leeds Branch of the Royal British Legion enhanced the dignity of the service by providing Standard Bearers and a bugler. Mrs Julia Wynne Thorpe, Education Officer for Leeds Parks & Countryside and designer of the Barnbow memorial plaque, for bringing soil from the Somme Battlefield to be scattered at the memorial.
After the service in the park, Mr David Wilson of the Barnbow public house kindly provided refreshments and hosted an afternoon of performances by students from John Smeaton Academy, Sandra Chewins from Space2, and ladies from the West Yorkshire Playhouse Community Choir. Mr Neil Redfern of Historic England also spoke about the significance of the scheduling of the Barnbow site, protecting it for future generations, and how people can become involved in the new Enriching the List Project. All of these people gave their time and effort to provide a fitting tribute to the memory of the Barnbow Lasses. This event, attended by the Lord Mayor of Leeds and Richard Burgon, MP was a wonderful example of cooperation and sharing by the whole community.
