A TRIBUTE in flowers will bloom this summer in an area of Darlington to mark those who lost their lives in the First World War.

The colourful tribute to the 'Haughton Boys' will be in full flower as residents join forces to remember the local men who gave their lives on the battlefield.

To mark the centenary of the end of the war in November, flowers in patriotic colours of red, white and blue are to be planted in new flowerbeds surrounding the Haughton-le-Skerne War Memorial, which was built in 1920 to honour the men from Haughton, Barmpton and Great Burdon who lost their lives.

The idea was originally suggested by Carol Atkinson, of the Haughton-le-Skerne Local History Society, and soon won support from local residents and others including Haughton and Springfield Ward councillors Chris McEwan and Nick Wallis, Darlington Borough Council and Darlington Cares.

The flowers will be planted on three sides of the memorial, close to the Church of St Andrew, with the area facing Haughton Road in the shape of a Union Jack.

Meticulous and painstaking work has already been carried out by Ernie Newton and Kevin Donegan, to clean and repair two of three large poppy motifs, on the grassed area surrounding the memorial – the third is to be removed due to wear and tear.

Work to dig out the new flowerbeds will be carried out at the end of May, with planting to follow in June. The plants will be replaced just before Remembrance Sunday by winter pansies, also in patriotic colours.

In time for Remembrance Sunday, volunteers will tidy up the family plots within St Andrew’s Churchyard, on which some of those who lost their lives are remembered. A small wooden cross will also be placed on each grave, and 32 wooden crosses – one for each man – will be placed underneath the Union Jack of flowers.

And a new website with information about the ‘Haughton Boys’ will be launched in November after Local History Society member Neil Wastell researched each of the 32 names to write their stories.

Mrs Atkinson said:“As a community, we wanted to do something special in what is the centenary of the end of the war.

"In our everyday lives many of us pass the memorial frequently – when you do, please stop and think, not only of these young man, our ‘Haughton Boys’ who paid the ultimate sacrifice, but also of the survivors and their families too.”