Victims of the Nazi genocide are being remembered in a Wigan public space with a sapling grown from a conker brought back from the Auschwitz concentration camp.
The horse-chestnut was planted in the community garden on Harvey Lane, Golborne, in 2020 and is coming on well as the borough prepares to mark Holocaust Memorial Day on January 27.
A carved inscription accompanies the tree, explaining its tragic origins.
Jed Higson, one of the community gardeners at Harvey Lane, Golborne, with the sapling
Jean Hensey-Reynard, who spearheads the organisation of Holocaust Memorial Day, says the sapling’s cultivation is particularly appropriate because there is a focus this year on “growing memorials.”
A list of 16 plants with symobilc meanings has been published by the Royal Horticultural Society which it suggests schools and individuals could plant for the day.
They include purple hyacinths for sorrow, white tulips for honour and forgiveness, cornflower for hope and iris for determination.
Memorial Day ceremonies take place on Friday January 26 at Leigh Town Hall at 11am and Wigan Town Hall atrium at 2pm.
The inscription next to the horsechestnut sappling
Holocaust Memorial Day Trust has worked with Jean for many years on borough activities and see Wigan as a Beacon of Success. No more so when they came to film in town in 2020 and again when they invited Jean to give a presentation in London at the Department of Levelling Up in 2023.
Arising from this came the opportunity for Wigan Council to be a part of the 2024 National Ceremony whose “Curated Moments” can be seen by registering to watch it at hmd.org.uk/ukhmd on Saturday January 27 starting at 7.30pm.
Everyone can then join in by lighting a candle for the #LightTheDarkness at 8pm.
Last year Jean was especially delighted that for the first time Wigan`s Town Hall was lit purple in its solidarity against prejudice and hatred.
Jean said: ”Preparing for our HMD events start every April when the trust announces the theme for the year in an online video conference.
"Once this is announced we plan what our borough will do to best bring the theme to as wide and as diverse audience as we can.
"The 2024 theme is “Fragility of Freedom” and so our council representatives Coun Jenny Bullen and Deputy Leader of the Council Keith Cunliffe talked about this when we filmed them in the Atrium in October, 2023.”
Unlike most years where HMD organises an art or photography competition to get schools involved this year will see no such activity. This is because HMDT is busy planning and working on a bigger event for 2025 to mark the 80tieth anniversary of the liberation of Auschwitz.
However there is the RHS project which suggests rowing an indoor memorial plant in a pot, sowing a wildflower memorial bed outdoors or designing and working towards a memorial garden.
The Harvey Lane Community Garden, as well as the horse-chestnut tree also contains flowers suggested by the RHS.
