Make your mark on Manchester’s Path of the Somme remembered

Thousands of people who were involved in the Battle of the Somme will be personally remembered in a project launched today, as part of the national Somme commemorations on July 1.

The stories and sacrifices of the men and women who played their part in the Battle of the Somme will be remembered on individually designed ‘memory squares’, created by the public, uploaded to an online gallery, and then printed onto tiles to form the ‘Path of the Remembered’ which will be laid in Manchester on 1 July.

Culture Secretary John Whittingdale said:

“From soldiers, nurses, munitions workers, and all those on the Home Front, this project is a poignant and fitting way of remembering all the brave men and women affected by the Battle of the Somme.

“By taking part we can help ensure these uniquely individual stories are never forgotten.”

To take part, members of the public can go to https://www.1418now.org.uk/somme100 where they can see examples of memory squares and then design and upload their own. They can be designed by hand or on a computer. The designs can be as artistic or as simple as people choose, and don’t necessarily have to have a personal connection. The website contains information and help with researching someone to commemorate.

Five thousand online designs will be printed on to individual ceramic tiles and then laid as a path, forming part of a free concert taking place in Heaton Park on the evening of July 1. The ‘Path of the Remembered’ and events taking place in Heaton Park will be the culmination of a national day of commemoration for the Battle of the Somme, which include a parade of military and home front organisations through Manchester city centre, followed by a Remembrance service at Manchester Cathedral.

The UK’s National Commemoration of the Battle of the Somme in Manchester on July 1 will include a parade of military and home front organisations marching through the city centre, and a Somme Remembrance service held at Manchester Cathedral at 3pm and shown on big screens nearby.

Heaton Park is one of the largest municipal parks in Europe and in 1916 was a military training ground for many recruits before they went to the Somme. The evening event will also feature a range of letters, poems and diary entries depicting the lives of those affected by the Somme- including a specially commissioned poem read by author and broadcaster Lemn Sissay, along with a performance by Manchester’s Halle Orchestra.