GENERATIONS are coming together to remember those who lost their lives in the First World War Zeppelin attack on Sunderland.
A programme of centenary commemorations of the First World War air raid attack which killed 22 people and injured many more takes place next week.
One of the sites bombed on 1 April was Monkwearmouth Station, and the station museum hosts a ‘Zeppelin Attack!’ next Thursday (31 March) with the chance for people to see the displays commemorating the event and make a model of their own Zeppelin to take home.
The following day (Friday 1 April) on the hundredth anniversary of the attack, there is a public unveiling of a memorial bench at the Wheatsheaf Green at 10.30am by the Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Barry Curran.
The Mayor then travels to Monkwearmouth Station Museum to join local primary school children at 10.45am for the launch of the ‘Zeppelin’ art structure they created in class.
The Mayor of Sunderland, Councillor Barry Curran said:
“It is hard to imagine what people must have experienced at the time with bombs raining down on their communities, and we need to commemorate both their suffering and their bravery facing such an attack.
“The memorial bench provides the opportunity for people to sit and reflect on what happened, while our young people have used their creative talents to capture the emotions children must have experienced a hundred years to create the Zeppelin artwork.”
The centenary commemoration project is funded by Sunderland City Council’s North Area Committee and led by Museums, Heritage and Library Services working with Infinite Arts.
As part of the project Year Five children from Grange Park Primary in Swan Street have been inspired by historic re-enactment sessions and talks from the ‘Time Bandits’ to think about how they would have felt during such a deadly attack on their community.
Subsequent workshops at the school with Infinite Arts, have translated the children’s thoughts into the paper artwork and creative writing, which forms part of the skin of the Zeppelin model being unveiled and put on display at Monkwearmouth Station Museum.
The following day (Saturday 2 April) there is the chance for everyone to take part in a guided walk through the city centre 9.30 – 11.30am, to learn more about how the First World War affected Sunderland.
To book a free place please contact Anthony Hindmarch on 0191 561 4578.