Bramley Baptist War Graves and Memorial
Ahead of Remembrance Day, we meet one of the volunteers who regularly maintains the Bramley Baptist War Graves.
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00:00 [Sound of waves]
00:12 Never forgotten.
00:13 But the war graves here at Bramley Baptist Church weren't always as well maintained as they are now.
00:19 In 2014, local residents John Barker and Ian Johnston set about discovering and archiving
00:25 key details about who was laid to rest here.
00:27 Subsequently, every other Wednesday afternoon, a team of volunteers clean up and maintain the graves
00:33 and ahead of Remembrance Sunday, the graves are dressed with a remembrance cross and poppy.
00:38 Volunteer Pete joined the group following an injury and wanted to give back to those
00:43 who gave their lives for ours.
00:45 I wasn't working, alright. I live in supported living.
00:50 So I like to support them and this and that, alright. What am I going to do today?
00:54 So I thought I'd look on Facebook and I saw that people that came here.
01:00 So I spoke to a bloke called John Barker.
01:04 He said, "Oh yeah, come down." And then I come down and it just went from there really.
01:08 My first job is always, because I can't smell, I do the bins.
01:11 So that's all. And we all put them up there, out of the way.
01:15 And all the other volunteers, they go around doing the litter pick all the way around.
01:20 And then, where it's like, Peter, the other volunteer, they'll have the streamers out already.
01:27 So I go down and get a streamer, then go around and go around remembrance and everything,
01:32 streaming it all.
01:33 And other volunteers rake it and put it into bags and then get rid of the grass.
01:39 Pete has really relished being part of the group that gives up their time to commemorate the fallen
01:44 and they are always keen to welcome new volunteers.
01:48 We're all really good friends, we really are.
01:51 When I first started, one of the volunteers, who's not here no more,
01:56 from what I've been through, she's gone through exactly the same.
01:59 I was like, "Oh my Lord." I told her exactly what I'd gone through.
02:02 She said, "Oh, I've done the same? No way."
02:05 So like I've said, different people come in for two weeks and now we've got some,
02:10 well, there's some more coming now, which is really, really good.
02:15 And like I say, it's just really good to see everybody and they all turn up at the right time, basically.
02:21 And it's like, we're missing one now.
02:23 Really, it's a big shame and I wish she were back.
02:27 And we do miss the sweet things we really do.
02:31 A short walk away in Bramley Park and the Bramley War Memorial
02:34 is set to be the focal point for the Remembrance Sunday service.
02:39 Meanwhile, all year round, Pete and the team will continue to pay their respects
02:43 to the locals who never returned.
02:45 It's very hard when you're looking around as you're doing your streaming
02:51 and you look at the headstone and go, "Oh my Lord, how young was you?"
02:54 And you felt you did this for this country.
02:57 It's got to be done for that.
02:59 You've got to look after them.
03:01 They've looked after you, basically.