Commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.

Lets turn Stockton on Tees Yellow to commemorate the start of the First World War

Help turn the Borough yellow for Great War Centenary.

STOCKTON council is inviting people to turn the district yellow as part of a project to commemorate the 100th anniversary of the start of the First World War.

The ‘1,245 Sunflowers’ project will be a community driven centerpiece of a borough-wide programme of events, exhibitions and activities. 1245sunflowers Website HERE [...]

The project will honour the 1,245 soldiers who died in the war who are listed in Stockton’s Book of Remembrance, Between April 14 and 27, families and individuals will be invited to collect sunflower seeds to plant in memory of those who fought and died in the war.

Official Stockton Borough Council Site

Each seed pack will signify one of Stockton’s fallen soldiers and will be issued with tags bearing the name and date of birth of the solider to tie around the plant stalks.
The Council’s Creative Partner, Mike McGrother, is leading the project. He said: “One hundred years after Britain - and Stockton - joined the war, we will remember them not just as soldiers but as the ordinary people of Stockton, who paid an extraordinary price for their town and their country.

“Inspiration for the project also came from the 19th century hymn, Abide With Me. The sunflowers’ growth pattern mimic the line ‘shine through the gloom, and point me to the skies’, from the popular wartime song.

“Significantly, sunflowers are expected to reach full bloom at the end of the summer but these will be cut down early in August as a fitting tribute to the lives lost prematurely during battle.”

The project will end in a special event on 4 August, the 100-year anniversary of Britain entering the war.

In August, just as the flowers are coming into bloom they will be cut down and the lives of those lost will be remembered.

Details of the event, and the seed collection arrangements, will be confirmed in the coming weeks.

For updates on the project and other commemorative events across the Borough, visit stockton.gov.uk/events

For more on the North-East's role in the First World War go to thenortheastatwar.co.uk.