100 Years On - Festing Road Remembers
Cllr Ryder unveils plaque to four fallen residents
Local councillor Mike Ryder officially unveiled the stone at the summer street party
Councillor Mike Ryder unveiled the Festing Road memorial to the four from that street who died in the Great War 1914-18. He told the tragic story of his grandfather who was killed on November 10 1918 the day before peace was declared. This took place at the start of the almost annual street party.
Councillor Ryder explained that his mother Eva had never known her father, as he died before she was born. But when she died herself a few years ago, he took her ashes to the military cemetery at Mons in Belgium and scattered them on his grave in the rain, so they would finally be reunited. “So I hope Francis Noah was looking down on us on Saturday”, said Councillor Ryder.
Local resident Hugh Thompson dressed up as the cartoon character Mr Benn who was based on the street, gave a speech naming the four and read a short poem, and the Last Post was played. The stone dedicated to “the fallen heroes of Festing Road” was officially unveiled by Thamesfield councillor Mike Ryder, who said that his own grandfather, “who rejoiced in the name of Sgt Major Francis Noah Walden, and you don’t get many Noahs these days”, had gone to France in 1915, fought in all the major battles, but was killed on November 10,1918, just 24 hours before the war ended.
Hugh reminded that Mavis, who died five years ago and was well known, had lived all her 89 years in the street would have known the families of the dead as her father had moved to the street to work at the Roehampton Limb Factory. “That is, like any village there are connections in Festing not only among the living but with those who have gone before”.
Over 80 enjoyed the party which involved a children’s fancy dress, races, a tug of war, an inflatable Jacuzzi, a dog show and merriment which went on until late in the night.
July 5, 2018