When I first moved to East Barnet, one of the things that struck me was the support shown in the village on Remembrance Sunday. A large turnout, whatever the weather, always gathers around the memorial and many continue into Brookside Methodist church for a service of remembrance afterwards.
The first time I attended that service one of the most deeply moving points was the reading of the names of those from the village who had fallen in conflict. Few who heard Arthur Perks read those names can forget the solemnity and dignity he gave to that reading. Few can forget just how long it took to list all the names.
In 2014, to commemorate the start of the First World War, Brookside and St Mary’s church collaborated to produce a short booklet trying to piece together a few of the stories behind those 55 names. We were successful in detailing all but a few of them and we continue to search and appeal for information on the others. We can’t guarantee the correctness of all of the details, but to the best of our knowledge, we have honoured their memory.
What came across from that document was the sheer impact the war had on the village. In particular, one road – Jackson Road. Almost every other house on that road lost someone. In addition to honouring and giving thanks for their sacrifice, this also underlines the importance of remembrance. By remembering, we pledge ourselves never to forget the causes of conflict and to work in whatever capacity we can to promote peace in our community, in our nations and across the globe.