THE RAIN held off and the Last Post sounded when old soldiers from all over the country gathered in Bury for the dedication of a new memorial garden.

Situated on the new Tesco store car park at Woodfields, off Peel Way, the garden covers part of the former Brunswick Methodist Chapel cemetery where both civilians and casualties of war are buried.

About 50 servicemen and 100 civilians were present on Tuesday, October 14, for the service of dedication conducted by Rev Canon J. R. Smith, the Rector of Bury, and Rev David Milner from Seedfield Methodist Church.

A marble memorial is sited in the garden. Two plaques are displayed in honour of people buried on the site - one for civilians and the other for five soldiers killed in World War One.

They are Pte Ernest Fletcher, 5th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers, died November 10, 1918; L/Cpl Charles Parr, 13th Bn Bedfordshire Regiment, died September 21,1917; Spr Walter Strong, Royal Engineers, died June 20, 1917; Cpl Christopher Wilkinson, 2nd/5th Bn Lancashire Fusiliers, died October 10, 1916; and Pte Charles Wilkinson, 3rd Bn Worcestershire Regiment, died January 31,1918. The Rev Smith said the garden was a fitting tribute on what is now a "wonderful centre of trade and commerce." And the Rev Milner said it represented "an oasis of peace and tranquillity in a busy world."

Mr Steve Horrocks, of Knowsley Road, Ainsworth, whose great grandmother is buried on the site and who has campaigned for for cemetery to be recognised, said: "Tesco have taken too much criticism over this and I want to put it on record that I am grateful for what they have done.

"This is the best thing we could have hoped for. Tesco found themselves in a difficult position and made every effort to accommodate the parties involved. At least now there is a memorial to show that there are people buried on the site, something that has been missing for nearly 30 years."

Major John Hallam of the Lancashire Fusiliers said: "I would like to thank Tesco for all they have done. The garden will allow us to pay our respects properly to the servicemen who died and are buried here."

Revelations that part of the Tesco site encroached on to the cemetery caused work on the £10 million store to be halted last November.

But Tesco consulted with the Commonwealth War Graves Commission, the Fusiliers Association, Bury Council and the public to reach a compromise. Store bosses have paid for the memorial which stands in the middle of the car park.

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