School and town hall to mark poppy centenary

LERWICK Town Hall and the Anderson High School will this week be marking the centenary of the poppy as a symbol of remembrance.

Ahead of Remembrance Sunday next weekend, secondary three pupils at Anderson High School made 100 poppies which have been placed in school windows this week.

Pupils are also currently studying ‘Scots on the Western Front’ as part of the history curriculum.

Meanwhile Lerwick Town Hall will be lit red on the evenings of Friday 12 and Saturday 13 November, joining other ‘Light Up Red’ events across the nation.

The poppy was adopted as a symbol of Remembrance in 1921, soon after the Royal British Legion was formed as a voice for the ex-service community.

Remembrance Sunday takes place on the second Sunday of November each year, nearest to Armistice Day on 11 November when the hostilities of World War One ended in 1918.

Shetland Islands Council convener Malcolm Bell said: “It’s a hundred years since the Poppy became established as an important symbol of Remembrance across the Commonwealth.

“It’s as important as ever that we remember the sacrifice made by those lost in conflict and those still affected by war and trauma today.

“This year is a particularly important milestone and I am pleased Lerwick Town Hall will be taking part in the ‘Light Up Red’ event.”