VIDEO: A small group of people turned out at the town’s cenotaph on Remembrance Day, exactly a century on from its official unveiling.
There was no official service to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the town’s cenotaph, which for a century has paid a silent tribute to those who gave their lives in the World Wars and subsequent conflicts.
The monument, which has stood as a focal point for the town’s grief and remembrance since 1925, was central to this year’s moving Remembrance Sunday services, although there was no mention of this historic landmark.
The memorial, a striking Portland stone obelisk featuring a bronze inverted Sword of Sacrifice, was designed by the then-borough surveyor, Andrew Kerr. His vision created an “eloquent witness” to the profound impact of global conflicts on the local community, a design that continues to resonate a century later.
Local volunteer Julie Francis, who has helped keep the cenotaph tidy for a number of years and also decorates it with 10 large poppies every year, as well as maintaining the Union Flag, was “disappointed” that nothing had been done by the council to mark the 100th anniversary.
The memorial site itself, located at Bridge Foot, features a curved screen wall added at a later date, which bears the names of the 1,161 local servicemen who died in the First World War, as well as those lost in the Second World War and other conflicts.
While the cenotaph serves as a powerful reminder of the sacrifices made and the community’s unwavering commitment to remember its glorious dead, it remains to be seen if there will be an official service at some point to acknowledge this significant milestone.
There was uproar in 2017 over temporary plans, costing £1.3m, to move the cenotaph while works took place strengthening the nearby banks of the Manchester Ship Canal.
