17 REMEMBRANCE SUNDAY – KINSLEY AND FITZWILLIAM
First of all, Ferret would like to share a little bit of background information.
A new low was reached by Independent Hemsworth Town Council at the meeting on the 13th October 2022 and their relationship with our local Royal British Legion Branches.
Ferret understands a relationship that pre 2019, that would only have been described as being very good by both sides until the calamitous Jim Kenyon and colleagues took over the council.
Many people probably do not realise that Hemsworth Town Council have snubbed the Royal British legion, Hemsworth Branch, for the last 3 years by no longer taking part in the traditional remembrance day ceremony that centres around Saint Helen’s Church, where the actual First world war memorial is sited.
The taking part in this service was always considered an Honour by all the former councillors.
A full parade starts from Bullenshaw road at 9:45 am and culminates at the Church of Saint Helen and all are welcome.
The ceremony involves a fitting and moving service provided by Father Robert Hart and members of the church community, alongside Royal British Legion members, District Councillors and previously Hemsworth Town Councillors giving appropriate readings, complete with the laying of wreaths at the war memorial, situated within the Church.
The 2 minutes silence is held within the church at eleven o’clock followed by a parade and march back down to the new war memorial opposite the Catholic Church, where the salute is taken and further wreaths are placed to commemorate and to remember those who gave their lives in the Second World War and subsequent conflicts.
This has been the traditional way of remembrance in this township in living memory.
Who chose not to take part in this tradition? Jim Kenyon.
Ferret believes that he made this decision because the ceremony was not “all about Jim” and he chose to sneakily hold his own version of remembrance for self-promotion.
How does he do this you may ask?
By using the time after the official parade leaves for the Church from Bullenshaw road and addressing anyone who is genuinely in attendance around the new memorial at 11 o’clock to listen to him.
He quickly departs before the official parade and ceremony return to complete the ceremony shortly afterwards.
He does this without any authorisation at all to use the memorial, except his own of course.
Similar parades are held in Kinsley and Fitzwilliam.
Despite having lived in Kinsley and been both a District and Hemsworth Town Councillor Jean Eccles stated last year that they didn’t have parades in Kinsley on Remembrance Sunday and this year both Alan Draper and Jean Eccles didn’t even know the Kinsley memorial was maintained by Hemsworth Town Council.
It has been under the care of the Town Council since the land it is situated on was sold for development and to safeguard this priceless asset for generations to come and to be able to honour the previous generations who gave their all for us.
The item on the agenda was:
To The confirm the location for the refreshments after the Remembrance Sunday wreath laying in Kinsley.
Cllr Dodson rightly mentioned that the Kinsley coronation club the “ping” would be appropriate as they stepped in to help last year, at short notice, but was shot down by the chair Jean Eccles, who seemed hell bent on pushing her preference.
Needless to say, the “Ping” wasn’t chosen and it would be fair to say that the members of the Royal British legion are apparently not pleased with the decision.
Ferret believes that the Royal British legion should have at the very least, been consulted about the decision and the choice between various locations…