Tower of London poppy handed to Stonyhurst College

Ribble Valley youngster Rebecca Hayhurst has given a very special gift to Stonyhurst College to commemorate those who gave their lives in the First World War.
By The Newsroom
Published 11th Feb 2015, 14:54 BST
Rebecca Hayhurst,of St Josephs RC Primary School, Hurst Green, donated her ceramic poppy, from the Tower of London, to Stonyhurst Colleges war memorial. (s)Rebecca Hayhurst,of St Josephs RC Primary School, Hurst Green, donated her ceramic poppy, from the Tower of London, to Stonyhurst Colleges war memorial. (s)
Rebecca Hayhurst,of St Josephs RC Primary School, Hurst Green, donated her ceramic poppy, from the Tower of London, to Stonyhurst Colleges war memorial. (s)

Rebecca (10) donated her ceramic poppy which came from the recent Tower of London installation, “Blood Swept Lands and Seas of Red”, in a short ceremony at the historic college, attended by officers from the school’s Combined Cadet Corps, Lt Col Andrew Barber and RSM Robert Clare.

Stonyhurst’s chaplain, Fr John Twist, blessed the poppy before Rebecca placed it on the college’s war memorial. Rebecca, a Year 6 pupil at St Joseph’s RC Primary School, Hurst Green, said: “I wanted to give my poppy to Stonyhurst because seven of its former pupils have been awarded the Victoria Cross. Also, the Combined Cadets Corps does a very good job.”

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Rebecca’s family has a very long association with Stonyhurst College, with three generations having worked there including her grandmother, who was employed there for 38 years.

Lt Col Barber said: “We are extremely touched by Rebecca’s gift and honoured she chose to place one of the Tower of London’s highly sought after poppies on the college’s war memorial.”

176 young men from Stonyhurst gave their lives in the First World War.