Garden to remember fallen opens in heart of city centre
AT 11am yesterday morning, a poignant service marked the opening of the Glasgow Garden of Remembrance in George Square.
As we start the season of Remembrance, members of the public watched on as more than 24 wreaths were laid by a variety of military and civilian representatives, including Glasgow Lord Provost Philip Braat.
Providing a place to remember those who died in the First World War and all subsequent conflicts, the garden is especially important this year as it marks the centenary of Legion Scotland and the Poppy Appeal. Lieutenant General Sir Alistair Irwin KCB CBE, national president of the Royal British Legion Scotland and Poppyscotland, spoke of the importance of the garden. He said: “The Garden of Remembrance is one of the visible symbols of national annual active remembrance, and as a symbol therefore it’s very important.
“It’s something that people
can see as they pass by, and even if they’re only passing by and don’t stop it goes into their consciousness. “Without it, the annual remembrance might not be nearly so full of impact. “There are Gardens of Remembrance not just in Glasgow, they’re in Edinburgh, Inverness,
and many other smaller towns have smaller ones, and they all have the same purpose, to just remind us every year about the importance of saying thank you to those that have sacrificed.”
He added: “George Square seems to me to be a fitting place to have a Garden of Remembrance. It’s got the cenotaph here and it seems an appropriate place to have it where everyone will see it, so it’s a pleasure to be here.”
The garden is open until Remembrance Sunday on November 14.