Bristol! Shirehampton’s Warhorse Returns Home
Shirehampton’s Warhorse Returns Home this weekend
After several years of fundraising, Friends of Lamplighters Marsh are excited to announce, that the memorial sculpture of the Warhorse will be making its home at the Daisy Field, Portway, Shirehampton, Bristol this week. With the sculpture under wraps there will be an unveiling ceremony on Saturday 16th September at 11am.
The War Horse sculpture is made out of 380 used horseshoes and made by Farrier/Blacksmith Jason Baggs, a former resident of Shirehampton. He oversaw the installation of the sculpture on Friday afternoon 7th September by ASP Fencing and Fabrications and the Bristol Port Company who donated funds for the plinth and installation.
Diane Gait is a founder member of Friends of Lamplighters Marsh and has been one of the main fundraisers for this, with plenty of enthusiasm to make this happen. “The Warhorse was my idea and developed from a conversation with Jason Baggs while he was shoeing my horses. I told him about the Remount Station and asked if he could make a horse statue. Six weeks later he came along to shoe my horse again and showed me a photo of a front leg in his workshop and the rest is history. Unfortunately, covid arrived and lockdown followed and during this time I taught myself to sew.
I made face coverings for family and friends and then progressed on making other items with the help of Stephen Judd. He had a lot of waterproof canvas which he gave to me to repurpose into dog walking bags and more besides and these were sold locally at craft fayres and community fayres as well through Willow Tree Fields in Hallen”. “Stephen Judd and John Hastings secured substantial funding and donations from the Wind Turbine Fund, Bristol Port Company and Nisbets Trust and we are so grateful to everyone who have supported this project.
I am also mightily relieved that we have succeeded in making the Warhorse Memorial a reality.” said Diane. John Hastings added “The Remount Station in Shirehampton was one of several that were set up across the UK during 1914 until 1918. They provided horses and training before the horses were shipped out to the war front via Avonmouth docks.
This project has been the culmination of several years hard work by the members of Friends of Lamplighters Marsh to have a memorial not only for the Remount Station but the horses, trainers and those who lost their lives during the Great War. We raised sufficient funds to pay for the statue through arts and crafts sales, a concert at St. Mary’s Church and generous donations.
Bristol Port Company very kindly installed the Warhorse Memorial statue in its prominent position overlooking the former site of the Remount Depot and the ferry crossing where many were shipped to be put out to pasture in Somerset and beyond.
” Guest speakers on the day of the event include Peaches Golding, Lord Lieutenant of Bristol, Darren Jones, MP, Stephen Judd Chairman for Friends of Lamplighters Marsh, John Hastings is Master of Ceremonies and Rev. Alison Sowton from St. Mary’s Church who will do the Blessing. Avonmouth Sea Cadets will be in attendance marching in front the Clevedon Mounted Police from the Sea Cadets Head Quarters in Station Road to the Daisy Field before the ceremony begins. Paul McMillan will sing ‘Only Remembered’ during the ceremony and he hopes everyone will sing along to the chorus. This song is from the cast recording of “War Horse”.
This will be followed by refreshments at Avonmouth Sea Cadets Head Quarters in Station Road, a few minutes’ walk from the Daisy Field. This is a free entry event open to the public and programmes will be handed out on the day of the ceremony.
https://directlocalbristol.co.uk/wp-content/uploads/2023/09/Warhorse-Statue-unveiling-Order-of-Service.pdf
