College marks Armistice Day with Act of Remembrance and Veterans Dinner

East Riding College marked Armistice Day with a moving Act of Remembrance and its inaugural Veterans Dinner. 

The College staff and students at both main campuses in Beverley and Bridlington gathered to observe the two minutes silence at the eleventh hour on Thursday 11 November.  The Act of Remembrance is a non-religious event that staff and students organise to bring the College community together to remember the fallen. 

Public Services tutor and veteran Vince Brennan said, “It was good to be able to do something at both campuses to honour those that served and lost their lives, especially this year, after our online ceremony last year. Our students participated and observed the two minutes silence impeccably.  It is good for students to meet veterans and participate in the Act of Remembrance.  It’s all part of learning about British values, showing support for the armed forces family and acknowledging the sacrifices that previous generations made to grant us the freedoms we enjoy today.”

At the Beverley campus on Flemingate the event commenced with a lone piper from the Beverley & District Pipe Band playing at the Royal British Legion Tommy Silhouette in the College courtyard, to gather the staff and students together.

Staff and students were joined by staff who are ex-forces and the College also invited veterans from the Royal British Legion to attend. 

Cadet Sgt Cameron Wales, Air Cadets recited the Exhortation:

They shall grow not old, as we that are left grow old:
Age shall not weary them, nor the years condemn.
At the going down of the sun and in the morning
We will remember them.

The Last Post – recorded by music tutor Martin Jones - was sounded to mark the start of the two minutes silence.  During the silence students from the public services and foundation curriculum areas dropped poppies from the balconies.  The Reveille was sounded and the Kohima Epitaph was recited:

When you go home, tell them of us and say,
For your tomorrow, we gave our today.

The event was replicated at the College’s Bridlington campus, where Public Services tutor and veteran Neill Reade and his students also read poems they had written. Joshua Christian, a level 3 public services student from Bridlington wrote the following:

Poem by Joshua Christian

Where the barb wire lay

In the deeply churned mud

Among The rows and rows of trenches

A poppy grew In Flanders field

Where artillery once sounded

Where rifles now sleep

And the land is quiet

And goldfinch chirp unbeknownst,

On this sorrowful day,

We mourn their loss,

Yet we remember their bravery,

Not just for the Great War

But for all other conflicts around the world.

As we remember on this day

Our hearts beat with pride and respect

As theirs once did

And we will not forget

Their life that they gave

So we may sleep safe

We will not forget

But remember today.

Students and staff not on campus were invited to join the Flemingate Act of Remembrance on Facebook Live.  The recording of the live event can be seen on the East Riding College Facebook page.  Veteran Don McKinnon who attended the event commented on Facebook that it was an “Excellent tribute to the Fallen. Well done East Riding College students and staff.”

On the evening of Armistice Day the College hosted its inaugural Veterans Dinner at its Elwell’s restaurant.  All ex-uniformed services college staff were invited to attend alongside invited guests from the wider armed forces family.  The guests were greeted by a piper from the Beverley & District Pipe Band and processed into dinner before sitting down to a meal prepared and served by the College’s catering and hospitality students. Jane Rodley a veteran and member of staff read a moving poem by Jodie Lidster, one of the public services students, about mothers and children during war.  Poignantly, names of the fallen from the Beverley area were also used on place settings at the dinner as a small act of remembrance.

Poem by Jodie Lidster

How did you cope mum?

During the war times,

Seeing dad leave,

then your children too,

For all the work you did,

Was it enough?

Was it enough?

Mum you where my best friend,

You fed us, cared and more,

But you still sent us away,

Or was it because dad was sent away?

Were we enough?

Were we enough?

Do you still wear gas masks?

We don’t have to anymore

We no longer get bombed

You didn’t seem to want us anymore

Did you want us mum?

We miss you

Did you hear me, we miss you

Mum it’s been a few months,

Are you okay?

Is the farm, okay?

We are getting worried about you

Are you still alive?

We miss you

We miss you

So, you’re dead?

So, it still carries on,

When will it end?

You didn’t even say goodbye

Did you love us mum?

We miss you mummy

We miss you mummy

Photo 4852 Public Services students Lydia Hanson, Lewis Sellers and Joshua Watling, with tutor Neill Reade and Mike Barlett (RAF veteran).