West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds creates tributes to mark Remembrance Day
A carpentry team from West Suffolk College in Bury St Edmunds have created several tributes as part of their annual Remembrance Day commemorations.
These include a newly-constructed cenotaph and a visual display depicting a scene from D-Day.
D-Day, June 6, 1944, was the start of operations by Allied Forces in Northern France, on the beaches of Normandy, that would ultimately liberate Western Europe from the Nazis and end World War II.
The carpentry team have also restored a bench that was donated to the Abbey Gardens, in Bury St Edmunds, by Normandy veterans to its former glory.
All of their work will be unveiled tomorrow at the Built Environment campus in the town during a service that will be overseen by Vicar Tiffer Robinson from St Mary’s Church.
Brian Tunbridge is one of the driving forces behind the ongoing campaign. The carpentry and joinery lecturer said last week: “This is the fourth year in a row that we have done something on this scale for Remembrance.
“This year is the 80th anniversary of D-Day – so we are building a scene incorporating a landing craft, a small beach, two Spitfires, a Mustang and some parachutists.
“A college choir called Acado will be singing, public service students will read poems, we will have bugles, members from the military, Combat2Coffee and we will have residents from two local care homes as well as representatives from Stanton Primary School.
“The ceremony will happen at our cenotaph and a newly-refurbished commemorative Normandy bench.
“After this, the cenotaph and bench will permanently remain outside the Built Environment campus for people to come and reflect on the loved ones they have lost – not just veterans – but also members of staff and students who have sadly passed.”
Ryan Frost, 23, from Bury, is a technical demonstrator who supports students on the practical side of carpentry courses.
The former student of the college said: “I’ve been organising for people to come along. I had grandparents in the Falklands and had great-grandparents who were in World War II – so I think it’s important to follow on this tradition (of remembrance).”
Rion Lewis, 22, from Bury, is an assistant technician who has played a major part in most of the bench repair, the creation of the cenotaph and the D-Day display.
Rion said: “It’s taken me a few months to do this. It’s important to remember events that have happened through history so that we can understand issues that are happening today.”
Rion’s great-grandfather was in World War I and his grandfather was in World War II. He said: “I’ll be thinking of them during the two minutes’ silence.”
Companies who have sponsored materials for these activities are BLC Construction Supplies, Brewers, Morgan Sindall and Anglian Scaffolding.
West Suffolk College is part of Eastern Education Group.
