Project 32

This Project has been to commemorate the 32 men (several were still teenagers) who died in World War 1 from the Parish of All Saints, Victoria Square.

The original Roll of Honour Board was destroyed by fire when the Church was bombed in 1941. For years, the names were written on a piece of cardboard, & this was eventually replaced in 2016. In 2016, as part of the Centenary of Remembrance, Jane McLaughlin took on the task of researching each name and the book ‘32’ was published telling the story of each man.

‘These men were from all parts of society, wealthy and poor, a lieutenant Colonel and soldiers of Private rank.  They died in all 3 services and across the world.  What comes through is the normality of all, doing jobs many of us still perform now, living in houses we also still live in.’ (Len Smart, forward of book 32, October 2016)

Following on from this, in 2017 each house relevant to the ‘32’ was presented with a special poppy wreath with a note detailing who had been lost and a little information about them. The household was then asked to display this each November in the lead up to Remembrance Sunday.

This year, 2018, we have overseen & run a Community Project that focusses on these 32 names, & the poignancy of the same front doors we still walk through every day.

The Project is on display in Station Approach & all money raised is going to The Royal British Legion.

Glass By Design

On display are glass poppies that are flowing through a front door. The inspiration was “All front doors have a story to tell”.  The poignancy that this was the last thing that these men saw before leaving for war never to return, is symbolised by the poppies floating through.

We chose to work with local youth groups. The Air cadets, Sea Cadets and Girl Guides all making their own bespoke poppies.  This project has put faces to names, & highlights connections to families & houses around Penarth. This hopefully helps them to understand the sacrifice these young men made with their lives & how we should always remember them. This is important as year on year, there are fewer of the generation that lived through a world war, to pass on their first hand recollections.

We also worked with Penarth residents, & those connected to All Saints Parish, who wanted to be involved. They came in to paint up their own special poppy which they can keep once the display is finished. It will then be their own memento of such an important time in our history.   There are some on sale, including the special large ones, to help raise more money for the Royal British Legion.

Foxy’s

On display are beautiful wire poppies made by householders from several of the houses who were connected to a man lost.  At least one of the households still had the same family living there, which really brings home the connection & sacrifice of their relatives. These were made in workshops run by wire artist Nina Lazarou. Again, all participants keep their own poppy.  There are a limited number for sale at £20 to raise more money

Ogam Igam

On display are 32 pieces of work made by ex-servicemen to honour the 32.  The 32 individual names are displayed & all the work has been made at Woody’s Lodge (which is a hub that military & emergency service veterans & their families can attend, even if just for a cuppa tea).  The art has been overseen by ceramic artist Karen Hughes who has worked alongside all & will continue to deliver an arts programme in the new venue at Amelia Trust Farm

David Baker

On display is a special piece of calligraphy work by calligraphy artist Tess Cooling, which is in honour of more recent lives lost in our forces.

There is also a special display to William Arthur Sweet-Escott, who is one of the 32 names on the Roll of Honour Board.  He was a relative of the Bakers, & descendant of Brains Brewery.  The Baker family have made a special trip to his final resting place on the anniversary of his death 14^th October 1918, right at the end of WW1.

Thanks to all venues for displaying the poster.

Special thanks to Penarth View, who designed & produced the poster, & Andrew Hall for the beautiful photo of an original front door of one of the men.

Special thanks to Ogam Igam, Foxy’s & David baker for window display spaces.

Thanks to Jane McLaughlin who researched & wrote the book, (& any others who were involved alongside her) & allowing us to go with ‘32’ to run this Community Project.

Thanks to Nina Lazarou and Karen Hughes for running workshops.