A special memorial garden is to open this weekend in a Huddersfield park.
The Tolson Memorial Garden, created to commemorate the servicemen and women who have lost their lives since the end of World War II, is being officially opened on Sunday, October 12, in Ravensknowle Park.
The garden, situated behind the Tolson Museum, is designed to create a place of tranquillity and contemplation with grassed areas and flower beds encircled by accessible pathways and traditional-style stone walls.
The design incorporates three small flower beds, which are being planted by the Friends of Tolson Museum and Ravensknowle Park group, pupils from King James School and pupils from Almondbury High School.
Its centre point is a sculpture of a pair of hands holding the world, sitting on top of a two-metre high block of stone. Other features include poppy-shaped stone seats and a timeline of major conflicts since 1945 set into the pathway.
The sculptor was Peter Maris, currently artist-in-residence at Armley Mills ‘Millspace’ housed at Leeds Industrial Museum. He was also the stone carver involved in Scammonden Water’s ‘Stanza Stone’, a collaboration with poet Simon Armitage.
The Memorial Garden will be opened by the President of Huddersfield Veterans Association, Ian Fillan. The official opening ceremony will follow an introduction to invited guests, including the Mayor of Kirklees, Clr Ken Smith, by Ann Denham, who chairs the Friends of Tolson Museum and Ravensknowle Park.
The garden project was the first and so far biggest undertaken by the Friends group after its formation in 2012. It was made possible by a Heritage Lottery Fund grant of £97,000 and a further £5,000 raised through local contributions.
The Tolson Memorial Museum is just that – a memorial to those who gave their lives in the First World War.
The magnificent house and extensive grounds were donated to Huddersfield as a museum by Legh Tolson in memory of his two nephews, Second Lieutenant Robert Huntriss Tolson and his brother, 2nd Lt James Martin Tolson.
Mrs Denham said: “The memorial garden has been very much a community project with local people involved in its design, local schoolchildren planting some of the flower beds and financial help from the Area Committee and local charities.
“It aptly achieves what we set out to do – to honour those who have died in service, both in conflict and humanitarian situations, since 1945 by creating a peaceful place for relaxation and reflection but at the same time providing a place that will be a community facility that will enhance people’s lives.”
Incorporated into the garden is a performance area which has already featured an outdoor performance by Mikron Theatre. Enquiries have already been received from local schools to use the space for drama performances.
