Marple Pals - a guided tour of the lives they left to go to war

[admin]

£400 collected for the Royal British Legion Poppy Appeal during the six guided walks led by Andy Cook was handed over to the RBL yesterday.

The promised feature has also been added to the Friends of the Park web site:

http://www.marplememorialpark.org.uk/wwi-heritage/marple-pals-guided-walks.html

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[wheels]

Looks very interesting but a different day perhaps next time would be nice and might reach new people for those of us who can never do Sundays

[admin]

The final walk led by Andy on Sunday seems to have been enjoyed by everyone I've spoken to and the whole series has been a great success.

Thank you to Marple Local History Society and Friends of Marple Memorial Park for supporting the walks and of course thank you to Andy for his incredible enthusiasm and knowledge of the Marple Men who fell, making them much more than just a name on the War Memorial.

The collection on Sunday raised £59.04 for the Poppy Appeal, taking the final total collected to £398.39. We'll find some loose change to round it up to £400.

Future walks are entirely up to Andy - if he wants to repeat either of the two done so far, do a tour of All Saints' or anything else of a similar theme in the future then I'll be pleased help organise them.

A feature will be added to FoMMP's web site about the walks but in the meantime, here are some pictures taken by Arthur Procter on Sunday:

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[Trethellan]

I attended the walk today, very interesing it was too.

It was suggested there may be a possibility of repeating an earlier walk and also doing a visit to All Saints Church.

I certainly would be interested in both.  I wish I had been able to attend the previous walk and am really sorry I missed out.

thanks again

[admin]

The second of the new walks was again well received and another £38 was collected for the Poppy Appeal Collection, taking total so far to £338.60.

The last opportunity to do the second walk in the series is next Sunday and this one is nearly full. Register here:

Sunday 05 October 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-05-10-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Andy is thinking about doing a tour of All Saints' Cemetery as there are many WWI soldiers buried or remembered there. Would this be of interest to people?

[admin]

The first of the new walks went very well today with excellent weather to boot. Attendance was lower but in some way better for that as it was much more intimate. Of course the lower numbers meant that the Poppy Appeal Collection wasn't quite as good as the earlier walks but still achieved £44.60, which takes the total so far to £300.60, which is pretty good.

The next two opportunities to do the second walk in the series are next Sunday and the one after and you can use these links to register:

Sunday 28 September 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-28-09-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Sunday 05 October 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-05-10-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

[admin]

Just bumping this up to remind folks that it's the first of the new series of WWI walks led by Andy Cook next Sunday 21st September. The next 3 walks will start and finish in Memorial Park but take a different route to the walks conducted in August and talk about the lives of different men. So it's suitable for people who attended the first walks, or for those who didn't.

To register for free follow these links:

Sunday 21 September 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-21-09-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Sunday 28 September 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-28-09-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Sunday 05 October 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-05-10-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

[Mr Marple]

Anymore photo's? It was a good walk with interesting facts thrown in. Might just sign up for number 2.

[admin]

A new walk around Marple Town Centre led by Andy Cook, co-author of the book "Remembered - Marple Men who fell in The Great War".



Promoted and supported by Marple Local History Society & Friends of Marple Memorial Park.

This walk will start and finish in Memorial Park but take a different route to the walks conducted in August and talk about the lives of different men. So it's suitable for people who attended the first walks, or for those who didn't.

As a tribute to the men of Marple who fell during WWI Andy will lead you around Marple Town Centre and show you where some of the 141 men listed on Marple War Memorial lived. He will explain the lives they left to go to war, how they met their end and show you where they lived to help illustrate the devastation that must have been felt by our town and small communities like it throughout the country.

The walk is expected to take 2 to 2.5 hours but may take longer if people have questions. You will never be far from Marple Town Centre and will be welcome to leave the group at any time. The route is uneven in places and is not suitable for wheelchairs. The walk is also not suitable for pets or young children and any children attending the walk must be supervised by a parent or guardian.

It is recommended that you wear sturdy shoes suitable for walking and clothing appropriate for the weather, including a hat and sunscreen if it is hot and sunny. Things to bring include a bottle of water if you need it and a copy of "Remembered" if you have one.

The walk will begin and end in Marple Memorial Park. Please gather near the War Memorial in the park at around 1.50pm for a prompt 2pm start.

Attendance on the walk is FREE of charge but an optional donation to the British Legion Poppy Appeal will be requested at the end of the talk.

Numbers are limited, so please book your FREE place early:

Sunday 21 September 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-21-09-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Sunday 28 September 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-28-09-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

Sunday 05 October 2pm to approx 4pm : http://marple-pals-walk-05-10-2014.eventbrite.co.uk

[admin]

Howard's right, the third walk was excellent, despite the awful weather, and everyone seemed to get a great deal out of it. Additionally, £102 was collected for the British Legion Poppy Appeal, taking the current total to £256. Below are some photos taken by Arthur on Sunday.

The next post in this thread will launch the second walk in the series. Get signed up quickly to avoid disappointment!

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[Howard]

Excellent talk from Andy today. I really enjoyed it and learned a good few things about Marple that I never knew, despite having lived here for most of my life. Who knew there was an ex WWI tank parked near the flowerbeds in the park as a thank you to the people of Marple for raising money through war bonds?

His walk really brought home the effects that the Great War must have had on the people of the town. I'll definitely be attending Andy's next tour.

[admin]

The second walk led by Andy on Sunday was again well received with very positive reviews coming in and £89 collected for the Poppy Appeal too.

There is only one place left on the 17 August walk. It's looking likely that Andy will lead a different walk for the next 3 dates, which should go on-line for booking over the coming weekend.

[Lily]

Thanks for the info Mark.
It's very good of Andy to give up his time to take the walks and I appreciate why he can't do one on a Saturday.
I've got 'Remembered' and would recommend it to anyone interested in the names listed on the  Marple War Memorial.
I hope the rest of the walks are well attended.
Lily

[admin]

Is there any chance of one of the walks being held on a Saturday as it's very difficult for me to get to a Sunday one?
Thanks.
Lily.

I'm afraid all the dates currently set for the walks are Sundays - they are arranged around Andy's shifts as a Fire Fighter.

[Lily]

Is there any chance of one of the walks being held on a Saturday as it's very difficult for me to get to a Sunday one?
Thanks.
Lily.