Villagers in Norley enjoyed a poetry recital and concert in the village hall last month to raise more than £500 for the local wildlife group.
Themed around the world wars, the event was to provide funds for the wildflower memorial walk.
A highlight was Lynn Pegler’s poem Voices of the Norley Fallen, which evoked the 12 names of men from Norley who lost their lives in the Second World War.
Chairman of Norley Wildlife Group Phil Gifford described the event as ‘a bit of an emotional rollercoaster’.
He said: “Most if not all of us had tears in our eyes from crying and laughing so much, many like me simultaneously.
“Fortunately our constitutions had been fortified by liberal quantities of tea, scones and cakes all provided by the Norley WI, which was especially deserved by the dozen or so who had completed the walk earlier that afternoon.”
Weaver Vale MP Graham Evans, a long time supporter of the walk, read In Flanders Fields.
Toby Bowcock of the 1st Norley Scouts read To Germany, the author of which CH Sorley died at the Battle of Loos.
The afternoon included a performance of excerpts from the musical Oh What a Lovely War by the Kingsley Players, accompanied on the piano by musical director Arnold Ashbrook.
Other Norley events include the Remembrance Sunday Poppy Crosses Walk on Sunday, November 8 starting at 2pm from St John’s; a Remembrance Day poetry recital at the Tigers Head on November 11 at 7.30pm
Kingsley Players present Bite-sized Shakespeare – A Cabaret from October 21-24 and the musical Oliver! from January 27-30 2016.
For more information visit www.kingsleyplayers.co.uk.
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