November 11, 2018 - 1756 views
Colwyn Bay joined towns and villages across the whole of Wales to pay respects to fallen heroes from wars and conflicts around the world on the 100th Anniversary of the Armistice.
On Remembrance Day local people of all ages gathered at the Cenotaph to hear a special order of service followed by a memorial church at St. Paul's Church. The commeration which began shortly after a national two minute silence was attended by local dignatries, ex-service and serving men and women along with local scouts, guides, army and sea cadets from the town.
At Porth Eirias preparations which had been planned for many months unfolded just after daybreak with the sand etching of a giant thirty foot portrait of fallen soldier Private Ellis Humphrey Evans, the famous Welsh war poet known as Hedd Wyn who was killed at the Battle of Passchendaele in 1917.
Volunteers worked tirelessly to ensure that the portrait was complete in time for members of the public to come and pay their personal respects on the beach just before 8am. The portrait which could be seen from the sky by a drone camera was beamed to special television monitors in Porth Eirias and beamed to viewers across the world. The portrait was finally washed and 'taken away' by the incoming tide shortly after 10.30am.
'Pages of the Sea’, a special art project fronted by Oscar-winning filmmaker Danny Boyle for the First World War centenary, saw dozens of vast sand portraits of casualties from the conflict etched into our coastline.
Colwyn Bay was one of 32 beaches across the country which took part in the project on what was a very moving and thought provoking day for communities right across the country.
