People will fall silent at midday on Thursday to mark lives lost during the pandemic on the third anniversary of the first lockdown.
A minute’s silence will be held at I remember: Scotland’s Covid Memorial in Glasgow’s Pollok Park as part of the National Day of Reflection. A wreath will be laid in memory of the lives lost to Covid, and memorial creator Alec Finlay will be joined by Scotland’s Makar Kathleen Jamie, who will lead a remembrance walk following the silence.
The memorial is a collection of “I remember” oak tree supports along a memorial walk through the park. Mr Finlay, the poet and artist who was commissioned to make the memorial, said the designs were inspired by the support ordinary people showed one another during the pandemic.
The event on Thursday coincides with the completion of the memorial, the first phase of which was opened by Scotland’s Deputy First Minister John Swinney last May. Speaking at the time, Mr Finlay said: “It is an artwork made not by me, but by the people of Scotland. My designs were inspired by the support ordinary people showed one another.”
The campaign to create a national memorial to those who lost their lives during the pandemic was initiated and led by The Herald. Meanwhile in Dundee the lives of those lost during the pandemic will be among those honoured at the launch of a new memorial garden in the city. The University of Dundee Botanic Garden is to formally open its Good Grief Memorial Garden on Thursday.
It is believed to be the first botanic garden in the world that marks those lives lost during the Covid-19 pandemic, and will also provide a quiet space for anyone wishing to reflect on the life of a loved one.
Kevin Frediani, curator of the Botanic Garden, said, “Grief will affect us all at some point and does so in different ways, but the pandemic certainly helped to bring this realisation to the forefront of a lot of people’s minds. Visitors have always sought peace and tranquillity here at the Botanic Garden, but the opening of a dedicated memorial garden will allow visitors a beautiful, considered space to reflect on a lost relative or friend.
“We have been working closely with the local community, as well as external organisations, to ensure that what we have created is a sensitive, timeless tribute to those we love and miss every day. We hope that people from across Scotland feel as though they can join us here and find solace in this very special place.”
At the heart of the garden are four specially commissioned obelisks, representing the seasons of the year, while the space is surrounded by trees, ensuring privacy for those seeking it. Mayra Crowe’s son Andrew died of a brain aneurysm in 2010, aged just 15, and she has subsequently campaigned to change perceptions of the grieving process and how people respond to the death of a loved one.
She said: “The pandemic highlighted just how important our relationships with our loved ones are. I had to attend the funeral of a friend online, but that did not offer any comfort to that person’s family. Sharing the feeling of loss, knowing that you’re all experiencing loss, is a very important part of the grieving process, and we lost some of that during the pandemic.”
The National Day of Reflection on Thursday is led by Marie Curie, the UK end of life charity.
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