Blackpool's veterans' memorial gets revamp ahead of VJ day

Volunteers and a community charity have teamed up to get a Blackpool war memorial garden blooming for VJ day.
By Tim Gavell
Published 5th Mar 2020, 06:45 BST
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With 2020 seeing the ending of the Burma Star Association, the group which supported veterans of the Second World War in the Far East, the team behind the Fylde Coast Memorial Arboretum wanted to do something special for the commemorations later this year.

James Baker from Redeeming Our Communities, the Christian charity which specialises in gardening projects in Blackpool, said his team have been helping out at the arboretum for some time.

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He said: “We work with Great Places, Blackpool Coastal Housing and the council. The council put us in touch with Liz and the arboretum volunteers and we have been keeping things tidy and sharing skills.

Laura Whiteside and Aron Goff from Reedeming Our Communities help planting at the memorial arboretum in Bispham in preparation for the VE and VJ services later this year.Laura Whiteside and Aron Goff from Reedeming Our Communities help planting at the memorial arboretum in Bispham in preparation for the VE and VJ services later this year.
Laura Whiteside and Aron Goff from Reedeming Our Communities help planting at the memorial arboretum in Bispham in preparation for the VE and VJ services later this year.

“This year, thanks to the legacy, we were asked to have our garden services team help improve the Burma Garden. We wanted to make it low maintenance for the volunteers but special for the families who come there.”

He said they have been tidying up the paths and borders, planting new displays , pruning trees and creating a new Burma Star badge arrangement from flowers.

Liz Clayton from the arboretum volunteers said: “We are so grateful to the Roc team, they do such a great job.

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“We got a legacy from one of our members Robert (Bob) Vaughn, which is dedicated to the Burma Star garden, so we have used that to try to make it special for this the last year of the Burma Star Association.

The Burma Star garden at the arboretumThe Burma Star garden at the arboretum
The Burma Star garden at the arboretum

“We are delighted with what they have done.”

The Burma Star Association is being wound up this year as few of the veterans from the war against Japan are still around. The association had strong links with Blackpool, holding annual reunions at the Winter Gardens.

The arboretum will retain its tribute to those who fought in the Far East and the prisoners of war, with its Changi Jail gate replica.

It is aiming to hold a special event to mark VJ day in August following the VE Day event in May.

Related topics:Blackpool