Wilfred Owen statue unveiled in Oswestry - with video and pictures
Verses penned by the world famous war poet Wilfred Owen were spoken and sung at the unveiling of a statue in honour in Oswestry, the town of his birth.
Hundreds of residents turned out in force in the town's Cae Glas Park to attend the dedication ceremony for the striking life-size bronze tribute on Saturday.
It features Owen's words along with poetry written by schoolchildren from the community cascading downwards.
Watch the unveiling ceremony:
The new statue is the only life-size statue of the war poet in the country and was created by artist and sculptor Tim Turner who is also from the town. And it was cast at the world renowned Castle Fine Arts Foundry, in Llanrhaeadr-ym-Mochnant.
Born at Plas Wilmot in 1893, Owen is seen as one of the greatest English poets of the 20th century.
Mayor of Oswestry Councillor Sandy Best said she was delighted with the support from residents and that while it had been expected to be successful, it was 100 per cent better than that.
"For many years locals, visitors and historians have questioned why there is no permanent statue or feature in Oswestry to boast the link between Wilfred Owen and the town of his birth," she said.
"Next month was we look to commemorate the centenary of the end of the Great War ans the 100 years since the death of Wilfred Owen we find Oswestry at the centre of local and national interest as we provide a permanent reminder for future generations of a local and worldwide person of renown, whose poems contain some of the most poignant English poetry of the First World War.
"The town council has taken a positive role in commissioning and funding the statue. We see this as a piece of art to record the historical association of the town with Wilfred Owen. It is also of tourism value and had educational benefits for our young people present and future, several of whom have contributed their work which is incorporated in the statue."
The unveiling featured a performance by musician Thoren Ferguson who played 'The Somme' on the specially made Wilfred Owen violin. The violin is the creation of Edinburgh based fiddle maker Steve Burnett who crafted it from a branch of an old sycamore tree at Craiglockhart Hospital where Owen was treated for shell shock in 1917 before returning to the frontline.
Soprano Natasha Day sang an adaptation of Owen's 1910 poem 'Written in a Wood', while writer in residence at Oswestry Library, Dave Andrews, read one of Owen's most famous works 'Anthem for Doomed Youth'.
Dignitaries included the Lord Lieutenant of Shropshire Sir Algenon Heber-Percy, High Sheriff of Shropshire Rhoderick Swire and the blessing was led by the Rev Harvey Gibbons of the town's parish church.
Mark Arridge, 53, of Oswestry and his wife Irina 43, were among the residents at the ceremony.
"We're actually friends of the Tim who made the statue," Mr Arridge said. "We saw the beginnings of it before the clay went on, so its great to come to see the finished work unveiled. It's lovely. He's done a good job."
Bethan Evans, 51, a midwife, said: "I thought the ceremony was really nice and moving. The violin piece was amazing, with the poetry. It was a fitting tribute and a brilliant statue which is telling the story of Wilfred Owen."
Isobel Gray, 11, a former Whittington Primary pupil, was among the pupils from schools in the area who took part in poetry and handwriting competitions for their work to be incorporated in the project.
"I found the words I cast on his leg. It's amazing. I'm really pleased," Isobel said.
Steve Moore, 66, a retired social worker, from Wolverhampton, said: "It is a superb festival. I came two weeks ago for a poetry debate so I decided to come back for the unveiling of the statue.
"I had no idea that Wilfred Owen was a Shropshire lad until I saw a flyer about the festival."
Both the unveiling ceremony and the Wilfred Owen Festival, also underway, were organised to commemorate the centenary of the poet's death and the centenary of Armistice Day which will fall a week apart.
The Last Post and Reveille was played by Yvonne Furber, of the Bligny Band and Bugles of the Shropshire Army Cadet Force.
Councillor Best added: "I expected the ceremony to go well, but it was 100 per cent better than I expected considering some of the issues that we've had to overcome to get to this point. There has been massive support from the people of Oswestry.
"Other places have their celebrated poets and we have Wilfred Owen and it is not just about the fact that he lived here for four years, the family were here for much longer than that and his grandfather had been a mayor of Oswestry.
"His poetry speaks for those who fell and for those who did not fall, but lived with the effects of war afterwards. This is what this project has been about."
