Derek Longman called it a proud moment as Poppy Day lighting reached the Hoylake and West Kirby memorial for the first time. The Grade II* listed site had stood neglected for years before Friends of Grange Hill and Wirral Borough Council restored it.
Longman, chairman of Friends of Grange Hill, said: “What began as a small group of volunteers determined to rescue a neglected landmark has grown into a remarkable community effort.” He added that the memorial now carries bespoke lighting that will keep the sacrifices commemorated there visible for future generations.
Hoylake and West Kirby memorial
The restoration took 14 years and began in 2012 after a visitor found access to the memorial virtually impossible. Years of neglect had left the site overgrown, and its remembrance garden had almost disappeared. The new lighting means wreaths laid in honour of the fallen can now be illuminated in the evening for the first time.
The memorial is set to host West Kirby's Remembrance parade. That gives the restored site a practical role in community observance, not just a visual one.
Leigh and Poulton-le-Fylde displays
The Hoylake and West Kirby lighting is part of wider events and displays ahead of Remembrance Sunday. In Leigh, a roundabout was transformed into a Remembrance war memorial display with about 1,800 poppies, 1,000 white crosses and four soldier figures in the centre.
Poulton-le-Fylde displayed more than 1,000 yellow poppies to honour forgotten heroines who served their country. The memorial in Hoylake now joins that wider run of tributes, but with the added change that a once-hard-to-reach site can now be seen and used properly again.
Longman said: “The new lighting scheme is not simply about illuminating a monument; it is about ensuring that the sacrifices commemorated here remain visible and remembered by future generations.”
