Remembrance Day Service

On Friday 9 November, Churcher’s College in Petersfield commemorated the centenary of the end of the First World War with a special assembly from the Rev’d Will Hughes, Vicar of Petersfield, and VIP guests followed by a dedication of a newly constructed war memorial which honours Old Churcherians who have fallen.  

Ken Webb

The service included a short film featuring Old Churcherian Ken Webb, remembering with great clarity and emotion at 92 years of age, his time serving in WW2 - you can watch this below:

Pupil's Poem

Another highlight was the reading of the poem ‘A Holiday’ which appears in a new book entitled ‘Never Such Innocence’. The poem was composed by a Churcher’s pupil and the book was celebrated at a recent reception at a Buckingham Palace. The royal reception was one of a huge number of events taking place around the world at this time, close to the 11th of the 11th, 100 years since the end of the 1st World War.

New War Memorial

The special assembly was followed by the dedication of our newly constructed war memorial which remembers Old Churcherians who have fallen. Our Senior CCF cadets led the way to the war memorial, followed by a banner party where they laid wreaths in a special service of dedication led by Reverend Canon Will Hughes. The Churcher’s College Wind Band played alongside.

Today we complete the work the Old Churcherians began almost a century ago.

Simon Williams, Headmaster of Churcher’s College, said: “The history of the war memorial begins in 1919 when it was decided to honour the fallen through the purchase of a patch of land to be called Memorial Field and to build a War Memorial next to it with the names of those that had died inscribed upon it. Memorial Field was bought and it is where the 1st XV pitch is now. But after purchasing the land for playing fields there was only enough money for a small plaque on a wall. Today we complete the work the Old Churcherians began almost a century ago.”

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