CANDLES are to be lit at Warrington Cenotaph on Christmas Eve – for the second year running.
Latchford resident Margaret Shaw will be lighting the candles in memory of her father, the late Frank Collopy, and other victims of World War Two.
The tradition started in Holland and Margaret picked up on it last year through Roland Boekhorst, the collection manager at The Hartenstein Museum in Oosterbeek, near Arnhem.
Her father, a lifelong resident of Latchford, served with 133 para field ambulance during Operation Market Garden – the battle which inspired the film “A Bridge Too Far – in September 1944.
He was captured and served the war out at the infamous Stalag XIB prisoner-of-war camp at Fallingbostle, Germany, until the camp was liberated in May 1945.
He died in 2007 and his ashes are interred at Oosterbeek Military Cemetery.
Candles are lit at various locations all over the world at 7pm on Christmas Even and Margaret intends to keep up the tradition until at least 2019 when it will reach its 75th anniversary.
Pictured: Last year’s ceremony.
Candle ceremony to take place at Cenotaph
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