Patriotic pub pays tribute to war fallen
ROCHDALE will fall silent in November with the rest of the country to mark 100 years since the end of the First World War.
But one patriotic pub is already honouring the tens of thousands of lives lost.
The Commercial in Castleton has been transformed into a huge mural of remembrance, complete with poppies and a giant silhouette of a soldier, head bowed and holding a rifle.
The towering tribute, which spans the entire width and height of the pub’s front, was the idea of landlord and lady Peter and Joanne Kelly.
Tattoo artist Jonathan Thompson, who works behind the bar in the pub, designed and painted the tribute over weeks.
It includes the famous verse from Robert Laurence Binyon’s poignant poem ‘For the Fallen’: “At the going down of the sun and in the morning, we will remember them.”
The mural is proving hugely popular and Peter said veterans and serving forces personnel have travelled from across Greater Manchester to take a look.
“I think it’s absolutely brilliant and we’re very proud,” he said.
“We have ex-servicemen and women who are customers of the pub and the feedback we’ve had has been superb.”
The idea for the mural follows the creation of a garden of remembrance in Castleton with metal silhouettes of soldiers and a memorial stone.
Peter, 51, who’s been at The Commercial for fourand-a-half years, said schoolchildren from nearby St Edward’s CE Primary School have also been involved in the village’s commemorations.
He added: “We were looking to do something for the 100th year and couldn’t decide what to do. Castleton’s councillor Billy Sheerin organised the memorial stone and it all stemmed from there really.
“Jonathan pencilled out the design in freehand on the wall then painted it in over time before the poppies and the verse were added. “He’s done a brilliant job. “We just wanted to do something to commemorate the years and it could not have gone any better. People are over the moon with it. It’s there to stay, that’s for sure.”
Artist Jonathan, 27, said: “It was a bit tricky - I do not normally do work that big. But I’m very proud of it and people have said the same.”