Growing Remembrance

The history of the British site of national remembrance, honoring service people in the armed forces as well as the civilian community.

Sited at Alrewas in Staffordshire, the National Memorial Arboretum is a year-round focus for remembering and paying tribute to all who have served their country in both peace and war, in the armed forces, the merchant navy and the emergency services. Written by the Arboretum's founder, this book tells the story of the Arboretum.

Planting began in 1997 and was supported by hundreds of organizations both serving and retired. Among the early memorials was a life-size wooded polar bear, for 49th Division, a grove of Irish trees for the Royal Irish Regiment, an Avenue of Chestnuts for the Police and a Chapel of Peace and Forgiveness to mark the coming of the Millennium. Britains war-widows had a rose-garden planted for them while the Far East Prisoners of War managed to fund a small museum to stand alongside a length of railway track brought back from the notorious Burma Railway.

In October 2007 Queen Elizabeth II confirmed the importance of the site when she opened the Armed Forces Memorial to commemorate all service personnel lost on active service since the end of the Second World War.

Written by the Arboretum's founder David Childs, Growing Remembrance tells the fascinating story of the evolution of the Arboretum.