Terror victims tribute
PLANS FOR MINUTE’S SILENCE TO REMEMBER TEENAGERS
UNITED by grief, South Shields will stand together and fall silent on the anniversary of the Manchester bombing to remember a beloved young couple.
Popular teenagers Chloe Rutherford and Liam Curry were among the 22 concert-goers to lose their lives in the arena attack on May 22 last year.
Now, the community has been invited to gather outside South Shields Town Hall on Tuesday morning to remember the couple and mark the first anniversary of their passing.
A post from the Trust’s Facebook page read: “We have decided as families that we want to spend the day here in the place we feel safe and loved and where you have all taken our beautiful, perfect Chloe & Liam to your hearts.
“We would like to invite you all to join us at their amazing bench outside our very own Town Hall, if you would like to be there to support us and have your own moment of reflection then please feel free to meet us there from around 10am. Thank you as always for your continued love and support.”
Councillor Ken Stephenson, the Mayor of South Tyneside, will leads a minute’s silence at exactly 10.31am before laying flowers on the Together Forever memorial bench.
He said: “The loss of these two young lives and their story of love really touched the hearts of so many people across South Tyneside. It is clear that our communities are still feeling this loss as much now as they did one year ago.
“Chloe and Liam remain in our thoughts and it is only right that we mark the first anniversary of their death with a special tribute at their memorial bench at the front of South Shields Town Hall.
“It is sure to be an extremely poignant event where we take the opportunity to stand together to show unity and solidarity once again while celebrating the lives of this wonderful young couple and everything they represent.”
South Shields Town Hall will also be lit up pink and blue – the colours of the Together Forever Trust setup by Chloe and Liam’s families in the aftermath of the tragedy.
Chloe’s heartbroken uncle Glenn Rowe has led calls for individuals, businesses and organisations to unite and turn pink and blue to show the family the love of the region.
He said: “I was just thinking for Mark, Lisa and Caroline, they missed the wave of love that came from the North East in the days and weeks after.
“So I thought wouldn’t it be a lovely idea to try and repeat that show of love?”
Chloe and Liam were just 17 and 19 respectively when suicide bomber Salman Abedi killed them and 20 other fans in a blast at the Ariana Grande concert at 10.31pm on May 22, 2017.
The Together Forever Trust established in their names helps to inspire and support children to achieve and reach their potential in sport and performing arts in celebration of the young couple’s lives.