Notes: 1. Three themes are recognized in this memorial.:
(1) the bestowing of honour for the fallen.
(2) the acknowledgement of the contribution to those who worked the land, including civilians.
(3) the acceptance that people are still suffering through war today.
2. The Hexham Courant 24.03.2016 carries the following:
“Village plans unique memorial
LAID gently upon the land as though by some Herculean shepherd who may return for it at any moment, an oversized crook could form a very unique war memorial.
The memorial seeks to pay tribute to the sacrifices paid by the rural community during conflict, both those who served and those who tilled the land.
A planning application has been submitted for a ‘war memorial sun mark’ to be constructed outside St Andrew’s Church, in Bolam. A large crook will lean upon a pair of shepherd’s hut wheels, standing on a pedestal inscribed with the names of the fallen. The truly unique aspect of the memorial comes via an aperture bored into the centre of the crook. Both the crook and the wheels have been positioned very carefully so that at 11am on November 11, sunlight will flow through the aperture to mark the time on one of the wheels.
The application also seeks to construct a paved area, access footpath road and car park in surrounding the memorial. The structure will stand on an area paved with sandstone flags and watched over by benches – designed with help from Belsay schoolchildren.
It is particularly close to the rector of St Andrew‘s, Rev. Michael Bryce who submitted the planning application. A former army chaplain with 16 years in the forces, Mr Bryce has brought Remembrance Sunday services back to St Andrew’s in recent years. He said: “I have served in Germany, Bosnia and Northern Ireland as a chaplain posted to different regiments. I have seen some of the effects of conflict. They did have quite an effect on me. I’ve always been particularly keen on the remembrance of people who served and those who died.”
