November 2018 marks 100 years since the end of WW1 (1918). Rowntree Park was opened as a memorial to the First World War in 1921 by the Rowntree Family.
On the park’s opening in July 1921. Joseph Rowntree stated that the park was “intended to serve as a perpetual memorial to the members of the Cocoa works staff that fell and suffered in the War” and how he hoped the park would “afford many rest and recreation from the turmoil and stress of life, and bring health and happiness to a large number of young lives”. Seebohm Rowntree followed on from his father’s speech by stating that he hoped that the park might ‘keep green’ in peoples memories at the time, and in times to come to the high ideals for which England had entered the war including making the world a better place to live in.
We have a range of displays, events and activities planned for Rowntree Park through the coming months from art installations, Remembrance Rocks, Poppies in the Park and a poetry/art/music collaboration by a creatives ‘Northern Electric’ that will bring memories of the park alive via an online app. Some details are below and further details will be shared here and on Facebook where we list our events.
Poppies in the Park
Calling all crafters! Help the Friends of Rowntree Park mark the centenary of the end of WW1 (1918) with fantastic crochet, knitted or felted poppies that will be displayed in Rowntree Park. Our aim is to create a wall of poppies spilling down the wall of the steps leading to the cafe, that can be seen directly from the lychgate.
If you can knit, crochet or sew, we’d love your help. Join us at one or more of our craft sessions (dates and places below) or make your own at home. We are after poppies that are red, white and green(!)
We’re holding drop-in craft sessions on:
Mon 17th Sept 2-3pm at Rowntree Park Café
Wed 3rd Oct 7.30-8.30 (ish) at the Winning Post Pub (Bishopthorpe Rd)
Tuesday 16th of Oct 7.30-8.30 (ish) at the Winning Post Pub (Bishopthorpe Rd)
These sessions are aimed at adults (or skilled teens).
Sat Oct 20th 1-3pm – Poppy craft event for children (aimed at 3-14). This includes making felt poppies and also helping create a large piece of wall art. Meet at the Young Friends Clubhouse under the cafe). There is a small cost for the children’s activity to cover resources (£1 per child for Friends of Rowntree Park members and £1.50 otherwise).
The poppies display will start to be installed on Oct 20th.
Adult/teen craft sessions are free of charge, just bring needles and wool if you have them or borrow some from us. Poppies of all sizes and shapes welcome, you can use your own pattern or there are some suggestions here: http://support.britishlegion.org.uk/app/answers/detail/a_id/1346/~/knit-or-crochet-a-poppy
If you make your own poppies just get in touch with us and we will give you an address to drop them at.
Remembrance Rocks
Rowntree Park Rocks has successfully been running over a year. The aim being for adults and children to decorate rocks and leave them in the park for others to find. It brightens people’s day and gets people out and about exploring the park. However, to mark the centenary of the war, we are encouraging people to create ‘Remembrance Rocks’. This is aimed at young and old and Remembrance can be linked to the First World War, wars since or for anyone who we have lost in our lives.
A few thoughts…
All our events for the centenary of the end of the First World War are not a celebration of war but are to remember those who gave their lives for what leaders believed was right at the time, to remember all those then and since that have had their lives touched by war, and in a wider sense, remembrance of anyone you have lost who we were close to. We hope the displays and events we have on in the park through October are talking points for people, and parents can engage with their younger children on the topic of war and remembrance, in general, taking the chats in whatever direction they seem fitting. We hope you enjoy what we have planned and we’d love for you to be involved.
