You might be interested to learn that Marden is going to play a full part in the commemoration of the World War 1 centenary. As you probably know, Marden has long enjoyed a close relationship with St. George’s Church in Cullercoats. Indeed, I guess that we’ve been working together for over 50 years. Some time ago, I mentioned to Father Adrian Hughes that I was thinking of ways in which school could mark the Great War centenary and he told me that the plaque listing the fallen on the St. George’s war memorial had been stolen. Well, that got us thinking and soon we started coming up with ideas for ways in which we could ensure a renewed commemoration of those Cullercoats men listed on the stolen memorial. One thing led to another and, with the help of an amazing local history group called Tynemouth World War One as well as Sarah Owen from North Tyneside Council,  we put together a bid to the Heritage Lottery Fund for a community history project.

Anyway, our bid has been approved and I’m planning on starting the project this week. I want to recruit at least 30 pupils as history detectives to research the lives of the Cullercoats fallen. You won’t be surprised to learn that there are some sad stories to relate. For example, I  want to find out more about Arthur, Ernest and  George Carr: three brothers resident at 7 Eleanor Street in Cullercoats, all of whom lost their lives. It’s hard to imagine what that family must have gone through. And who’s living at number 7 Eleanor Street now and do they know that their house played a tragic part in local World War 1 history?

If you have any connection with the names on the memorial or any of the other Cullercoats casualties, we’d love to hear from you. Just send me an e-mail on [email protected]

Or even better, come along to our community memory day at St Georges Church Hall on Friday , 7 November, 2014. It will be open house from 10.00 am until 4.00 pm.