There have been so many moving tributes to the fallen heroes of the Battle of the Somme in its 100th anniversary year. In Seaham yesterday I witnessed another. Hundreds of pebbles have been collected from the local beach, hand painted red, and arranged in a poppy around ‘Tommy’. This emotive metal sculpture was designed by Ray Lonsdale and unveiled in 2014.
‘Paint it Red’ was the idea of David McKenna, a former soldier who has served in Northern Ireland, Bosnia and Kosovo with the Royal Regiment of Fusiliers. Six years ago he founded a local community group, Seaham Remembers Them. Cadets and veterans alike were involved in this project, which took 2 months to complete.
Afterwards I strolled on the beach, crunching through the pebbles with their weird and wonderful shapes, and feeling very lucky to be alive.
This article in the local press covers the event. You might remember a Monday walk I did when Tommy first arrived in Seaham.
restlessjo 
What a fantastic idea for a moving tribute!
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Such a sad occasion, Pit. Even 100 years on the memories don’t fade.
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Such a beautiful tribute Jo. Here in Canada, we proudly wear red poppies in remembrance of the men & women who have served. Often when people attend Remembrance Day services, they leave their poppies gathered at the cenotaph where the services are held. It is a very touching vision.
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100 years is a long time, Lynn, but it’s just as tragic now as it was then.
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What a beautiful tribute!
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I thought so too, Joy. Simple but effective.
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Jo, this is such a moving tribute. Thanks for showing it to us. It reassures me that people still remember the soldiers of WWI.
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I don’t think it’s something that can ever be forgotten, Noelle. Such a wicked waste of young lives.
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a beautiful tribute, Jo 🙂
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And so very sad, LolaWi.
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lovely tribute- and the sculpture is fabulous- so touching a post- thanks!
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I love the sculpture, Kathe. Despair and weariness etched in every line.
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Such a moving tribute.
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Simple but very effective, isn’t it, Ana? Thanks for sharing. 🙂
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Beautiful statues and what a lovely tribute with the red painted pebbles.
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It’s a brilliant idea, Sami. But so very sad!
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What a beautiful remembrance, Jo. I love this idea of the red pebbles. Lovely. 🙂
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So simple, Cathy, but the simplest ideas often escape us, don’t they?
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The poignant simplicity of this tribute is so moving…And Tommy bows his head with the burden of all the death. If only we’d learned from it. A great post and wonderful photos – thank you.
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There don’t seem to be any answers, do there? 100 years and where are we? Just another pebble on the beach. Thanks so much for your comment.
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It has all been said above. Thanks for bringing this to our notice.
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There are only so many tears, Maris, but we keep adding to them down the years, don’t we?
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This is so moving Jo, it brings a lump to my throat. I don’t know what it is about the Battle of the Somme but every time I read or see something about it I want to cry. And I am not a sentimentalist, nor do I cry easily, so why does this particular event move me so?
Tommy is a wonderful sculpture and to see this tribute is wonderful. Thank you for showing it to us through your excellent images.
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I didn’t know about this till I arrived yesterday, Jude. I’d been focused on them tipping poppies from the roof of Durham Cathedral but I couldn’t make it for that. This is so personal, isn’t it? I think the scale and the circumstances of the loss just fill you with dread whenever you think about it. Hugs, darlin!
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I’m glad you found this. Much more moving than tipping poppies.
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The sculpture is desperately sad as it is, with the poppies, it’s beautiful but heart-breaking, thanks love for sharing Gx
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Thinking about what caused it to be there is always a stomach churner, Gilly. The despair is potent.
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What a beautiful tribute. Thanks so much for sharing this, Jo. xo
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He definitely tugs at the heart strings, Jill.
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I wonder what would happen if I make a sculpture or art of myself and just randomly display it in public? 🙂
Impressive tribute. The way people pay tribute to people they honor is a beautiful thing. And the variety-colored pebbled beach is whoa-some! Very nice pictures, Jo.
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Sculpture is everywhere, much of it very beautiful, Rommel. Give it a go. I promise not to chuck eggs at it 🙂 Thanks for your company!
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What a clever idea and a beautiful way to commemorate this anniversary.
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I wanted to see the event at Durham, where they tipped paper poppies from the cathedral, Carole, but I couldn’t make it. This made a great substitute. 🙂
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Very moving. Tragically, there’s probably a correlation between the number of pebbles on the beach and the number of fallen soldiers during the First World War.
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And it keeps being added to in present times, Denzil. Will it never end, despite what we know?
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This goes right to the heart, Jo. ❤
Creativity creating art in a very moving way. One of the finest tributes I have ever seen.Thanks for the link, I'll pass it on.
Have a wonderful day! x
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Joyful for me to have you here, Dina. 🙂 The sculpture is one of the best things to happen to Seaham in recent times. Shame it has to have such a very sad source.
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What a fantastic tribute – has a very personal feeling
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It really does, Debs! There are always people on this rough old beach, collecting pebbles and sea glass. This was such a worthwhile cause.
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What an incredible tribute. Moving and so beautiful.
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Tommy always attracts a crowd, Miriam, but he is extra poignant in his ‘finery’.
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I’m sure he is Jo.
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