Poignant tribute to forces heroes in Redcar Cemetery

The beautiful flowering tree had enhanced a corner of Redcar Cemetery for many years. But when it began to die, The Friends of Redcar Cemetery began thinking of a way of preserving it.

At a cost of £1,000, they commissioned woodland sculptor Steve Iredale.

And the result, based on a bouquet of tulips, has been warmly welcomed.

The tulips are stained red, symbolising “perfect love” in the language of flowers. And as a tribute to the Yorkshire Regiment, it could barely be more apt - the red of the flower heads, the green of the leaves and stalks and the colour on the hexagon are the regimental tie colours.

Camile Nertney, of the Friends of Redcar Cemetery, said: “We have chosen to dedicate this sculpture to the Yorkshire Regiment our heroes of the past, present and future.”

To unveil the sculpture, a dedication ceremony will take place on Thursday, October 14 at 2pm, when about 20 soldiers, led by senior officers, will parade from nearby Redcar Racecourse car park into the cemetery.

Meanwhile, the Friends and Redcar and Cleveland Council have installed gates on the northern and southern entrances to the cemetery’s middle section, with access for funerals and disabled badge holders only.

It is now hoped that problems with parking will be alleviated.

Although the council had a set of gates for the southern entrance, it was Friend Jim Morrisroe and his team from Corus that fabricated the northern entrance gates. Both were installed together.

The Friends are a group of volunteers who work in partnership with the council to promote and maintain the cemetery. For details, call 01642 471064.