The 11th of November this year was the culmination of the commemoration of the centenary of the First World War. Here in Thorpe, there were two main events, which were very different to each other, but were both very special.
On the morning of the 11th, a substantial group of villagers, led by Len Smith, met at the World War 2 crash site memorial. Anne Nicholls read a poignant speech before she invited those present to share their personal family stories of the war and how it affected them. Len told the story of the crash at Blacksmith’s Lane and pointed out the area where the plane came down. His vivid retelling of this moment in the village’s recent past was very moving. After reading the names of the village’s war dead and the American airman involved in the crash, we held a two-minute silence. Sid Broughton laid a wreath at the memorial site, which brought the commemoration to a close.
In the evening, the Village Hall Committee arranged a splendid unveiling of the commemorative fire globe. The fire globe is situated behind the Village Hall and is decorated with working horses and the phrase “Thorpe Morieux Remembers” which honours not only the men who died in both world wars but also the many horses that were taken from the village to the front line, never to return.
The event began with a short service led by the Reverend Tiffer Robinson and a two-minute silence. The end of the silence was broken by a rendition of The Last Post and was followed by a peal of bells from St Mary’s Church and a fantastic firework display.
As you can see from the photographs, the lit globe looks fantastic and is a beautiful and functional memorial to those we have lost. After this, over 80 villagers sat down together and enjoyed a sausage and mash supper, washed down with a fine beer or two.
Thanks must be given to the Village Hall Committee who organised not only a great memorial, but also a very fine evening too.
