Remembrance Sunday services on Great Gable summit
Poppy crosses like this one have been placed at the FRCC Memorial on Great Gable summit each year since 1924. In 1924 the Fell and Rock Climbing Club (FRCC) dedicated a war memorial near the summit of Great Gable (2,949 feet) above Wasdale Head in the Lake District to commemorate the names of the members who had fallen during the Great War of 1914 - 1918. This took the form of a bronze tablet inscribed with the relevant names of fallen comrades. The dedication was by poet, author, climber and walkers Geoffrey Winthrop Young in front of a crowd of 500 walkers and climbers.
(For additional information click on 'Comments' below)
posted by ritsonvaljos at 6:27 pm
3 Comments:
In subsequent years, large tracts of the upland Lakeland fells, including Great Gable, were purchased and donated to the National Trust for the enjoyment of the nation. Each year, on Remembrance Sunday, a commemorative service still takes place at the summit of Great Gable, now commemorating not just the fallen members of the FRCC but the fallen of both World Wars and other wars and conflicts, us. The service usually attracts several hundred climbers and walkers, many of whom leave poppy crosses or wreaths next to the memorial.
However, there are no arrangements to collect up the poppies after a certain length of time. It means the FRCC members have to go up the fell some weeks after the service to collect up the remnants of the poppies and crosses by now strewn all over the fellside summit due to the effects of the heavy rain and strong winds prevalent on the fell tops in winter. In attempt to prevent the poppies being an unintended source of litter in October 2007 the FRCC has asked its members not to place poppies or wreaths at the memorial service on Great Gable summit as they may have done in previous years. As it is likely most of those attending the fell top service are non-members, the club hopes that they too will respect this request and refrain from leaving poppies at the summit. According to Mr Paul Exley, FRCC Secretary, "Their thoughts and sorrow will be every bit as sincere without these well-meant tokens".
Further information about the Remembrance Sunday Service on Great Gable can be found in the following link to the local newspaper, 'The Whitehaven News':
http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/news/viewarticle.aspx?id=556973
Joseph
this makes a good case for natural poppies to be left on site instead of the compressed cardboard offerings of the Legion - they will soon turn into compost no matter where they are blown !
The request for people not to leave poppies at the Remembrance Sunday Service has not been universally welcome by members of the FRCC and others. Some members have volunteered to collect up the poppies from the fells at a later date.
The following link leads to 'The Whitehaven News' article update aboutr this debate (1 November 2007):
http://www.whitehaven-news.co.uk/unknown/viewarticle.aspx?c=397&id=559390
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