Redland High Poems at Festival of Remembrance

Published: 07 Nov 2009   updated: 16 Nov 2009

When Mr Roger Duddridge, Chairman of the City of Bristol Group – Somerset County, Royal British Legion, came into Redland High Junior School to lead a Remembrance Assembly, the Year 6 girls were so moved that they were inspired to write poppy poems and send them to Mr Duddridge as a thank you. 

Little did the girls expect that this would lead to the three most meaningful poems being read at this year’s Festival of Remembrance at the Colston Hall.  It is a wonderful honour for the girls involved: Georgia Morris, Jessie Belcher and Olivia Bailward (all now in Year 7 at Redland High); who went up on stage and heard their poems read aloud to a large audience.

The Festival was held on Saturday 31October and set the scene for the public's generous support for Poppy Day. Money raised in this way helps to provide care for ex-service people and support for the families of those still serving. Every year Redland High has poppies for sale in both the Junior and Senior  School and we are very happy to support this extremely worthwhile fund raising. 

Mr Joe Eyles, Headteacher of Redland High Junior School, says, "Even quite young children can understand the horror of war and the impact that it has on families.  Our annual remembrance assembly ensures that our girls are informed about it in a sensitive and appropriate manner.  The poems our Year 6 girls wrote were of a particularly high standard and we are absolutely thrilled that three of them featured in the spectacular Festival of Remembrance at the Colston Hall.”

Click here to read the poems (pdf)

News Update ......

BBC Radio Bristol – Remembrance Poems

Early birds may have heard Mr Eyles, Olivia Bailward, Jessie Belcher and Georgia Morris on Radio Bristol's Breakfast Show recently. The girls had another opportunity to read the Remembrance poems they wrote while they were in Year 6 which were read at the Festival of Remembrance at the Colston Hall recently, as well as in churches in Somerset and Spain. They read clearly and beautifully, and were a credit to the School. If you would like to listen to the girls, the link to the ‘listen again' option is below. (You will need to scroll along till you get to about 1.52.00 (i.e. one hour 52 minutes into the programme). http://www.bbc.co.uk/iplayer/console/p004zlzq