Barrow Primary School near Bury St Edmunds paid tribute to the Women’s Land Army for Remembrance Day by welcoming a Suffolk Punch horse to the school field.
The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust has been set up to raise awareness of the work the Land Girls did for the war effort which included working with horses, and will be hosting a whole day of talks and activities at the school.
Historian, Nicky Reynolds and Volunteer Sue Dring hosted a talk and hands on activities to the whole school about the Women’s Land Army, how people signed up, and the work the Land Girls carried out. There was also be poem reading in remembrance of the Land Girls.
Nigel Oakley, former President of the Suffolk Horse Society, was on the ground with the Suffolk Punch horse talking to the children about the importance of the breed, why they are in the category red of the Rare Breeds and how we can help conserve the breed.
Author and Film-maker, Holly Brega co-ordinated the event with teacher Victoria Bush and Rev’d Lynda Sebbage. Holly was on-site signing her new children’s book ‘Chesnut and Daphne’, which tells a true story about one of the jobs a Land Girl carried out during WW2. Illustrator John Thurman, from Lawshall was also book signing.
Working together with The Barrow Benefice, there are talks of a local all-inclusive Women’s Land Army family farming day in 2024. To be kept in the loop about this event, please join the mailing list for the Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust here: https://www.suffolkwomenslandarmy.com/
Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust: https://www.suffolkwomenslandarmy.com/
About: The Suffolk Women’s Land Army Memorial Trust seeks to create a permanent and lasting memorial in Suffolk to honour the women who served in the Women’s Land Army and Women’s Timber Corps in Suffolk during World War Two.
Chesnut and Daphne Children’s Book: https://landgirladventures.com/
Follow a day in the life of ‘Chesnut’ the Suffolk Punch horse and his best friend ‘Daphne’ the Land Girl, as they deliver milk to the local villages during World War Two. Based on a true story.
The Suffolk Horse Society: https://suffolkhorsesociety.org.uk/
The Suffolk Horse Society, founded in 1877, is the breed society for the Suffolk Horse, popularly known as the Suffolk Punch. The Society:
- Is a registered charity and registered company
- Is the breed society for the Suffolk heavy horse and defines the breed standard
- Maintains the pedigrees of the UK population (and also of the nucleus populations in Australia and New Zealand)
- Publishes the stud book annually, registers animals into the stud book either by birth, by inspection or by a grading up scheme
- inspects and licenses stallions
- provides grants and premiums as a breeding incentive and all Suffolk horse owning Society members, from anywhere in the UK, are eligible to apply for those grants
- issues and registers prefixes/affixes for use by breeders
- promotes ownership of Suffolks by encouraging attendance at shows through offering turnout grants and awards and trophies
- appoints judges who have passed through its probationer scheme to the Suffolk horse judging panel
- provides practical training, open to all, in heavy horse skills
- is a passport issuing organisation recognised by DEFRA
