The Chorley & District Garden of Reflection - Astley Hall, Chorley 2018 скачать в хорошем качестве

The Chorley & District Garden of Reflection - Astley Hall, Chorley 2018

The Chorley & District Garden of Reflection, which was funded by the Armed Forces Community Covenant Grant Scheme, was commissioned to provide a lasting memorial to the men and women of Chorley Borough who served during World War One and as an acknowledgment of the centenary of the end of the conflict. Created by multi award winning Garden Designer John Everiss, the garden was sympathetically designed in such a way as to make a positive impact within the Walled Garden area of Astley Park, whilst not detracting from the heritage of the site. Life in the trenches has come to epitomise our perception of World War One and so it has heavily influenced the design of the garden. However, far from glorifying or celebrating conflict, the Garden of Reflection commemorates the lives of all those from Chorley Borough who were a part of it. This living memorial is engaging on all sorts of levels, for all ages and abilities and can be enjoyed by everybody. It can be a place to sit quietly and contemplate what sacrifices our ancestors made during the war and at times when the performance stage is in use, it becomes a place where you can be entertained and enjoy the surroundings. Everyone visiting is encouraged to take the opportunity to sit next to the stone sculpture, ‘The Messenger’, by acclaimed sculptor Thompson Dagnall. Hand carved from a large single piece of sandstone, his presence within the garden is to generate thought and contemplation; is he enjoying a performance in the garden, dwelling on the thought of sounding the bugle to signal a charge from the trenches, or has he just finished playing ‘The Last Post’ in honour of fallen comrades? Carved in the large blocks of stone in front of the stage, is the words of a little known poem “A Letter to Daddy”, which was written by a child Mill Worker from Chorley during the war. It is from a postcard within my local military collection and struck a chord with John during the gardens development stage as it provides a local link to the past. It was apparent from the start that the project had great educational potential which would enrich the message delivered by the garden itself. As a result, this video documentary which explores the design process, field research across the battlefields and cemeteries in France, provides a social history aspect and of course, includes the development and construction of the garden. I had the privilege of working on this documentary and writing the interpretation board that stands in front of the garden and it breaks down and explains the components of the design. But ultimately, with this supporting documentary, you will be left in little doubt that the Garden of Reflection is a most fitting and poignant addition to Astley Hall & Park; after all, the estate itself was gifted to the people of Chorley and District as a War Memorial in 1924. Many thanks to John Everiss and Keith Craig of Urubu Limited for their kind permission to share this video.