Off the wire
• Egypt discovers ancient gods' statues  • 2nd LD: ECB cuts benchmark interest rate to record low of zero percent  • Marxism remains in education: minister  • China's Lin Dan reaches third round at All England  • Golfer Ji leads as play suspended in China  • China developing float to monitor ocean depths  • Madagascar to host Francophonie summit  • Israel allows import of construction finishing materials into Gaza after 3 months freeze  • 50,000 jobs to disappear in Norway's oil industry by 2018  • Kenyan court sentences terror suspect to death  
You are here: 　 Home

Feature: Britain to remember WWI battle

Xinhua, March 10, 2016 Adjust font size:

A century ago, Manchester's Heaton Park was a training ground for young army recruits preparing for the Battle of the Somme, one of the deadliest encounters of World War One. Many would head to the front line, never to return home.

This summer the public park, one of the largest in Europe, will turn the clock back a century to host Britain's national commemoration event on July 1 to remember the Somme, government culture secretary John Whittingdale announced Thursday.

Thousands of people are expected to attend a day-long program of free events.

Original bell tents used by the military in the war will form a backdrop as nurses and soldiers, all in period uniforms, take part in recreating the event.

A commemoration service will take place at Manchester Cathedral after a parade through the city.

Many of the soldiers who lost their lives in the battle were from Manchester and northern England.

Whittingdale said: "The Battle of the Somme resulted in one million casualties on the Western Front and touched the lives of millions of families at home."

A concert in the park will feature a national children's choir, film, dance and a performance by the Manchester's world famous Halle Orchestra.

A spokesman for the culture department said: "The evening event will feature a range of letters, poems and diary entries depicting the lives of those affected by the Somme."

There will be an experience field at Heaton Park with more than 30 original bell tents housing First World War experts, activities and artefacts bringing to life stories of nurses, soldiers and factory workers from the Home and Western Fronts.

Sue Murphy, Manchester's deputy leader, said: "Manchester is honoured to be hosting this important commemoration event on behalf of the nation. Like the rest of the country we fully acknowledge the debt we owe to those who fought for us at the Somme and are humbled still by their actions."

The battle started around 7:30 a.m. local time on July 1, 1916 and lasted until Nov. 18, 1916. There were 60,000 British casualties, including 20,000 dead, on the first day of the battle. Endit