It has been a moving week of commemoration at Blue Coat. The commemorative installation of the Copper Poppy Centenary Project in the School Chapel marked the culmination of a great deal of hard work from the Creative Arts department. Working with Artist-in-Residence Stephen Whitehead of Countershade CIC, children, staff, parents and old scholars have been ‘bashing’ 2018 copper poppies to mark one hundred years since the end of the First World War.
Stephen shared his collection of world war memorabilia with pupils as well as the School’s Roll of Honour, which was drawn up in 1915 by the Governors of the day, to remember 109 Blue Coat pupils who fought in the first half of the Great War. Back in October, Mr and Mrs Neeson were the first to don goggles and ear defenders before taking up the hammer to strike at the copper form and produce the first limited edition poppy, complete with a Blue Coat silver button at its centre. This demonstration was followed by several industrious weeks in which the whole school community worked together, recording their progress on a giant Poppy-o-meter as they endeavoured to form as many of the 2018 cut-outs as possible in the run up to Remembrance Day.
