The spirit of Manchester
FIVE YEARS AFTER THE BLAST, THE ARENA MURDERERS ARE A FOOTNOTE IN HISTORY ... WHILE THE NAMES OF THEIR VICTIMS WILL LIVE FOREVER
SEPARATED by hundreds of miles, Sam Clarke and Kerrie Buesnell were brought together by the spirit of Manchester, five years after one of the city’s darkest days.
Their paths crossed by chance after hundreds of beautifully crafted hearts were placed around city landmarks.
On Sunday at Exchange Square, that spirit of togetherness was personified by the meeting of Sam and Kerrie.
Sam, a 30-year-old mum from Shaw, Oldham, spent three months creating more than 150 of these hearts.
Before she boarded the tram home, Sam bumped into Kerrie Buesnell, holidaying in
Manchester from her home in Jersey. More than 400 miles separate their lives, but it was Manchester that brought them together for a special moment.
“It feels like a part of Manchester is going home with them,” Sam said after Kerrie chose one of her designs.
While at the core of Sunday’s events was a feeling of sorrow and remembrance for those lost, it was also a poignant reminder of how Manchester pulled together and our how spirit conquered hate.
Just a short distance away, Victoria station was a focal point for memorial events.
As it has been ever since, the corner of the station known as Soldiers Gate became a memorial to the 22 innocents who died. Their names were read out, and the normally bustling station fell silent. Just a flight of stairs away, was the scene of the horrifying events of May 2017. By noon, about 200 people, including relatives of those murdered at the Arena, attended a service led by Railway chaplain Mike Roberts.
“We gather seeking comfort, for those who continue to mourn someone lost that night, seeking comfort for those whose lives are still incomplete and broken,” the chaplain said.
“We gather together as people seeking a sense of peace, in hearts that still struggle to process the injustice and the violence of that night.”
The newly opened Glade of Light has provided an area of peace and tranquillity which mourners flocked to after the moving service. People walked slowly around the circular memorial, taking in every name and reading the messages left by those grieving them.
Those responsible for the barbaric attack will prove to be just a footnote in our city’s history. In contrast, with the help of the Glade of Light, the names of the 22 will be etched into Manchester’s soul for evermore.