Point Me To The Skies
11 November 2018
On 11th November 2018, Stockton came together once again as a community to remember, and bid a final farewell to its 1245 sunflowers. The ruins of Trinity Church were transformed into a place of reflection and remembrance with art installations depicting the 1245. From dawn until dusk people came to visit, view and remember.
The names of the 1245 were displayed and read aloud throughout the day, while different displays drew attention and thought to different elements of the war and the 1245.
The creating of the displays had brought together the whole community - young people in care created artwork to remember George Hunter, not one of the original 1245, but Stockton's 1246th - a young dad shot at dawn for desertion and cowardice, having been unable to comprehend and cope with the horrors he witnessed on the front line.
Inmates from HMP Holme House penned letters to the 1245, inspired by the letter in a bottle written by Thomas Hughes, a letter eventually delivered to his family 85 years later.
The centrepiece of the installation was an illuminated display of sunflowers, each painstakingly created over many months by volunteers from thousands of recycled bottles.
From 7pm, just as in August 2014, former editor of the Northern Echo Peter Barron compered an emotional evening of story and song, with words and music provided by Mike McGrother.
A massive community choir - 1245 voices - sang songs of World War One, songs of remembrance and songs of hope. And as the Last Post sounded, Stockton looked to its future - a future as a community brought together, determined to learn from its past.
"They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them."