Keith Hargreaves (Chorley Local Meeting and Pendle Hill Area Meeting) July 2024
A cold January evening in 2017
Meeting with the Council leader in an otherwise empty Town Hall to discuss a range of peace- and memorial-related issues. A positive meeting with ideas from both people and an agreement in principle to plant a peace pole on public land.
2017-2023
Slow progress marked by long gaps in communication and the perseverance of 3 people (Alex Houghton, Ulrika Yeomans and myself) supporting each other in a joint enterprise with the background support of Chorley Quakers and Chorley Churches Network. Accelerated progress following the appointment of a new link person working for Chorley Council in 2023.
A wet afternoon in July 2024
Undaunted by the wet weather, about 40 people are welcomed by a piper to witness the planting of Chorley Council Peace Pole in a corner of the Walled Garden behind Astley Hall, the town’s main tourist attraction.
The site is ideal – well-visited, in a working garden tended by volunteers, with deciduous trees in bloom and a winter view of the West Pennine Moors.
In close proximity to the garden are 2 structures. The first is the Evader’s Garden (previously located in Chelsea Flower Show) depicting a WW2 airman (the designer’s father) sheltering in front of a damaged building as he tries to evade capture in France. The second, designed by the same person, John Everiss from Chorley, depicts a WW2 soldier in thoughtful posture in the Garden of Reflection. So we have remembrance and reflection.
The peace pole initiative which originated in Japan (thank you Masahisa Goi) after the horrors and devastation of the atomic bombing of Hiroshima and Nagasaki also has these 2 elements; furthermore its simple message “May Peace Prevail on Earth”, written in 8 language scripts along the pole, speaks for the present and the future need for resolve – resolve to work harder to prevent war and conflict….resolve to pursue peace and diplomacy with more commitment,energy and resources. (A different take on the “3 Rs”).
But as the Quaker educational resource “Peace at the Heart” reminds us, peace is multi-faceted and so on the interpretation board next to the peace pole are the following phrases:
Peace in our hearts
Peace in our homes Peace in the community
Peace in our country Peace between nations
Peace in the world
I
n addition to the 8 languages on the pole, there is also a Braille attachment. Inclusivity is of the essence; the hope is that those who visit will be from diverse backgrounds motivated by religious faith, common humanity or both.
On the day of the installation of the peace pole, those attending took the opportunity to write their own peace messages and place them in the planting hole, in mother Earth. In this way, Chorley’s Peace Pole connects to all the other 200,000 plus peace poles in nearly all countries in the world.
“May all those who visit and meet here experience peace.”
The potential of the peace pole is great; as well as a place of peace and calm for those who are troubled, it can be a place for silent worship, a place to hold a vigil, a place to commemorate anniversaries such as Hiroshima and Nagasaki, a place to celebrate the UN International Day of Peace (21st. September), a stopping point for school parties or parents with children following a town trail.
Only one of the seven secondary schools invited was represented – by two teaching staff and two students. The two young people witnessed an event that will hopefully stay in their memories (and not just because of the rain!) for years to come.
There may be another opportunity for schools to get involved during a more formal ceremony for elected representatives and other interested people at which the permanent interpretation board will be unveiled.
With thanks to Alex and Ulrika….and also Barbara Tonge, NFPB rep. for Kendal and Sedbergh Area Meeting in 2010, from whom I first heard of the existence of peace poles.
Read more about the Peace Pole Project
Categories nonviolence, peacebuilding, Quakers