The Centenary of World War One in Workington: A Community Project

Individuals and groups from across Workington came together to mark the centenary of the First World War. A project working group included Workington Town Council, Workington Air Cadets, Allerdale Borough Council, Carnegie Theatre & Arts Centre, the Duke of Lancaster’s Regiment, Workington Freemasons, Helena Thompson Museum, the Poppy Appeal (Workington branch), the Royal British Legion (local branch), Washington Square Shopping Centre, Workington Sea Cadets, West Cumberland Branch of Royal Engineers Association, Workington Library and Workington Rotary. The group organised several projects and activities over the course of 2014 and 2019. These included the development of the ‘100 flower bed’ in Vulcan Park. A new flowerbed was created and covered in paper poppies for Remembrance Sunday in 2018, followed with poppy seed planting. Four ‘silent soldier’ statues were also installed in key positions around the town, in Vulcan’s Lane, Harrington, Moss Bay and Workington Railway Station. It has since become an annual tradition for the statues to be displayed every November. A walking route titled the ‘Walk of Remembrance’ was designed to include important public spaces around the town, with ten silhouettes, provided by the Armed Forces Covenant Fund, placed at each location. This was supported by a booklet we produced containing historical information on each of the chosen venues. Local youth charity 'Young Cumbria' worked with the shopping centre to paint poppies on the pavements throughout the town centre. A large poppy motif was attached to the Curwen Column in the town centre. The shops in the town centre created special window displays of handmade poppies made by local school children. During 2014, six primary schools had assisted with planting of snowdrops near the Cenotaph in Vulcan Park. Local music charity 'Soundwave' produced a compilation of First World War-era songs, poems, readings, and news clippings, which were played over the Hub sound system in the town centre. Volunteers from the Helena Thompson Museum divided the town’s Roll of Honour by parish ward. The names of individuals and their respective ward were listed on newly created display boards, which are also now displayed during the traditional Remembrance period in November. South Workington Youth Partnership worked with local schools to make special Centenary banners - these were hand decorated by pupils and carried during the 2018 Remembrance parade. On 11 November 2018, the Duffield Beacon was lit in Vulcan Park, as part of a national campaign to light one thousand beacons across the UK, to symbolise the 'light of hope' that emerged from the darkness of war.