War memorial rededicated - almost to the minute - a century on

A special ceremony and service took place on Sunday morning to mark the occasion, with Father Malcolm Reed, from St Peter’s Church, joining members of the Hoyland Remembrance and Parade Group, old soldiers and members of the community for the event. The service featured a bugler playing The Last Post and Reveille, with a two minutes silence, as well as prayers and readings. Wreathes were also laid as part of the ceremony. The memorial stands in recognition of 321 men from Hoyland and the surrounding district who gave their lives in the two world wars. It was updated following WW2 to reflect the losses in that war. Much work has been done by the group to keep the memorial in good order, with more expected in the months ahead, including the completion of a project to re-grout paths around the structure and, hopefully, to have the monument cleaned. Group vice-chairman Gary Moore said they were lobbying Barnsley Council in the hope that bollards could be installed on the land around the monument, to prevent vehicles parking on paved areas. “At the end of the day, it is a memorial, not a car park for picking kids up from school,” he said. The weight of vehicles was causing problems with the hard surfacing, he said. He also praised the support the group gets, stating: “The support we get from the local community and businesses is excellent.”