I'M delighted to have received my sunflower seeds this morning so I can take part in Stockton's community project to commemorate the centenary of World war One.
Stockton's Book of Remembrance lists 1,245 soldiers who died in the Great War so 1,245 sunflowers are being grown in their memory.
Between August 2 and 4, the sunflowers will be cut down to form a memory garden at Stockton's Parish gardens. At 11pm on Monday, August 4 - the 100th anniversary of the start of the war - a reflective vigil will begin and last for 1,245 minutes.
It's a lovely idea, bringing all generations of the Stockton community together, and I'm proud to be playing a small part.
My sunflower will be grown in memory of a fallen soldier called John Thomas Matthews. I don't know anything about him yet but I intend to visit Stockton Central Library soon to find out more about his life and death.
Regular updates on how my sunflower is progressing will be uploaded on The Northern Echo's North East At War website - www.thenortheastatwar.co.uk - which is developing into a unique archive of the region's role in the Great War.
To find out more about Stockton's community project, visit www.1245sunflowers.org
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