World War One Peace Celebrations. July 1919

THE FIRST ACT OF REMEMBRANCE
When the armistice was announced in November 1918. many flags and banners went up around the village. According to the local press at the time “many old people were seen to be crying like children, so moved were they by the turn of events”.

But it was not until the following year that the village felt able to finally hold an event to mark the peace and the homecoming of the local lads.
This remarkable photograph, taken during the village’s World War One Peace Celebrations on July 19th,1919, captures a poignant moment in Lymm history, though there seems to be some anxiety among the onlookers about the stability of the bearer’s grip!

The local newspaper reported at the time ...

“To the tolling of the church bell, Mrs Norah Burrowes* of The Red Cross and quartermaster at Lymm’s Red Cross Hospital handed a magnificent cross of flowers made by Mrs Ditchfield and Miss Pearce to Sergeant-Major Clare who, with dignity and reverence, carried it on behalf of his comrades to the Cross. Here, it was held erect by two Boy Scouts.  A little boy, T. Cadman, who had lost his father in the war, next presented to the rector of Oughtrington the roll from which he read the names of the seventy-five men of the district who had fallen.”

*Mrs Burrowes was married to Dr Henry Burrowes who was the medical officer in charge of the Lymm Red Cross Hospital in Brookfield House. Dr Burrowes was awarded the M.B.E. for his work at the hospital.