Local events
The Men of Raynes Park, 1914-18
The Men of Raynes Park, 1914-18 Armistice Exhibition
To celebrate the 100th anniversary of the WWI Armistice, an exhibition about the lives of the men from Raynes Park who fought and died in the Great War of 1914-18 will be launched at St Saviour's Church on October 27th.
Ninety-seven men from the Parish are named on the war memorial in the church grounds next to Grand Drive. The exhibition will explore the history of Raynes Park and the Parish of St Saviour's, how the memorial came into being, and who the 97 men were, where they lived, where they died, the battles they fought and some of their remarkable stories. A poem has also been specially written for the occasion.
The exhibition launch event will be at 2.15 pm on Saturday October 27th.
The aim is to create an understanding and appreciation of the lives of the men commemorated on the memorial and the sacrifices they made. A number of guest speakers will provide context and background stories to the exhibition. These include Sarah Gould, Head of Merton Heritage, and representatives of the families of Thomas Mewburn Crook, the original sculptor of the memorial, and Wing Commander Frank Brock, a director of the Brock Firework Company, who died in a daring raid on Zeebrugge in April 1918.
All residents of Raynes Park, and others who have an interest, are warmly invited to this occasion. Visitors are advised to arrive early and either walk or use public transport as parking space is limited and there will still be disruption along Grand Drive.
Over the last 100 years, the names on the memorial have been gradually eroded. The St Saviour's Parochial Church Council plans to restore the memorial subject to the necessary permissions being granted and hopes to achieve this in the Spring of 2019. St Saviour's priest-in-charge, Reverend Peter Kelley, will outline progress on this at the exhibition launch. If anyone would like to make a contribution towards the costs of the Memorial Project, or a pledge to support the restoration should funds be required, please contact the St Saviour's church wardens at: This email address is being protected from spambots. You need JavaScript enabled to view it. .
Following the launch, the exhibition will be open until Remembrance Day at various times. Please check.
Peter Hutton
