Blaydon Courier, Saturday 16 June 1923 (page 5) reported: 'CHOPWELL WAR MEMORIAL. —— Chopwell war memorial which is to be unveiled tomorrow (Saturday) afternoon, occupies a site in front of Chopwell Work men's Social Club and Institute, and takes the form of a soldier in fighting order, resting on his arms reversed, erected on a pedestal, the total height being about seventeen feet. The memorial was designed and erected by Messrs. A. and F. Maruelle, Throgmorton Avenue, London. From Chopwell 1,100 men volunteered, and 205 gave their lives. Following are the names inscribed on the. memorial: ...'
'... Mr F. O. Kirkup will preside at the unveiling ceremony and the memorial is to be dedicated by the Rev. Angus Macdonald, vicar of Chopwell. Addresses are to be given by Lieut.-Col. A. Henderson, C.M.G., T.D., Father Rickaby, Mr John Gibb (Newcastle), and Mr William Whiteley, M.P. Mr. William Scott, chairman of the Blaydon Council, will accept the memorial and deeds of conveyance on behalf of the Council. Sir Thomas Oliver is to be presented with a letter weight made from the granite of the memorial, and the Rev. A, Macdonald will receive a similar gift. Mrs. Armoury, of Trent Street, Chopwell, who had two sons killed in the war and two wounded, will deposit a wreath on behalf of the mothers of Chopwell. Miss E. Hood, of Wansbeck Street, whose father was killed on active service, leaving & widow and six children, will pace a wreath on the memorial on behalf of the orphans of Chopwell. Wreaths are to be deposited on behalf of the Territorials, ex-Service men, Memorial Committee, St. John Ambulance Brigade, R.A.O.B., Chopwell Social Club and the Chopwell Workmen’s Prize Band'.
Newcastle Daily Chronicle, Monday 18 June 1923 (page 7) printed a lengthy article, titled 'CHOPWELL REMEMBERS. Poignant Scenes at War Memorial Unveiling. A PROUD RECORD. Sir Thomas Oliver and "a Peril for the Future".
'It is at the north end of the village, where the road winds in from Greenside and High Spen, that the War Memorial has been placed — in an enclosed area in front of the Chopwell Workmen’s Social Club and Institute. Here, at a cost approaching £1000, has been raised in grey granite the figure of a soldier in full service kit, and there has been no more impressive scene in the county than the unveiling of it on Saturday afternoon. Sir Thomas Oliver, on the invitation of the Memorial Committee, released the Union Jack which draped the statue. and as it dropped to reveal the figure platoon fire was heard, buglers of the DLI sounded ”The Last Post". and then, after a solemn interval of silence came the vibrant quickening notes of “The Reveille.” The last scene of all was the most poignant. The pipes wailed the old Highland lament “The Land o' the Leal,” and as they played, the relatives and friends of those did not come back, tearfully laid their loving offerings of flowers round the monument— beautiful wreaths and crosses and anchors, and among them homely bunches of flowers which were massed until they reached almost to the figure that, with arms reversed and head bowed, looked down from the pedestal. There wore between 6,000 and 7,000 people in the great assembly which Mr F O Kirkup, the president of the Memorial Committee, addressed in the unveiling proceedings. It was an impressive assembly. On the north side of the square ‘D” Company (Chopwell and Blavdon) of the 9th DLI, under Capt Coulson, and the Newcastle Highland Pipe Band under Drum Major Powell; on the west side the choristers of St John’s with their choirmaster, Mr I. Birchnall, the Chopwell Workmen's Band, under the conductorship of Mr R F Lee, and the members of the Committee; on the south side was the platform, and the square was completed by the dense throng which crowded the main roadway. Mr Kirkup, who has attended seven similar ceremonies at various collieries of the Consett Company, was visibly affected during his brief address. "It only seems like the other day” he said, “when we saw them march away — the young men, and the middle-aged.” The response of the community spoke for itself as to loyal to the Flag. Out of a population of less than 8,000 over 1,100 responded to the call, and 205 made the great sacrifice. He remembered personally many of those fine men and he found it hard to express himself in terms that would fittingly describe the sacrifice they made. Sir Thomas Oliver performing unveiling ceremony said Germany did not win the war, but although for the present her sword, in a sense had been sheathed, her disregard of law and of obligation made her the object of distrust by Allied nations, and a peril for the future. Could we readily reality forget the past, and forgive her military political advisors for the sufferings which, for selfish reasons, they inflicted upon the world? No reparation could restore the past, and wipe out the memory of brutal wrongs, nor bring back the relatives and friends we had lost. The dedication service was conducted by the Rev Angus Macdonald, Vicar of Chopwell...'
[The report included mention that: 'The deeds of the site were handed by Mr. Kirkup to Councillor W. Scott, who received them on behalf of the Blaydon Urban District Council. The Chairman also presented Sir Thomas Oliver, on behalf of the Memorial Committee, with a paper weight made out of the granite of the memorial, with a silver inscription plate; and a similar memento was presented to the Vicar of Chopwell, on behalf of the Committee by Mr Alsop, the secretary pf the Consett Company'].
Consett Guardian - Friday 22 June 1923 (page 4); printed photos (headlined 'CHOPWELL'S TRIBUTE TO THE FALLEN'), captioned: 'Group includes Rev, A. McDonald, Col. Henderson, Sir Thomas Oliver, and Mr F. O. Kirkup'; 'Sir Thomas Oliver speaking'; 'View of Chopwell Memorial. The stone is Aberdeen grey granite'; 'Another view of the big assembly. In the presence of a large representative gathering, Sir Thomas Oliver, on Saturday, unveiled the Chopwell War Memorial, which has been erected in the grounds of the Workmen's Club. The dedication service was impressively conducted by the Rev, A. McDonald'.
North East War Memorials Project (ref C92.01); information re the memorial etc. (This record includes the following notes:
'From the list of names on the [unveiling] programme: Hetherington R.J. reads Hetherington R.H. on memorial; Posket reads Poskett on memorial'; and that 'The name T.G. Houghton appears to be incorrect. It should be J.J. Houghton. John James Houghton was killed whilst serving with the D.L.I. at the Battle of the Somme and is commemorated on the memorial at Thiepval. His name appears correctly on the Roll of Honour in St. John’s Church, Chopwell'].
https://www.newmp.org.uk/memorial/statue-1914-18-1939-45-korea-roadside-c92-01/Blaydon Courier, Friday 24 November 1950 (page 2); report of Blaydon District Council's meeting the previous Tuesday included the paragraph: 'CHOPWELL WAR MEMORIAL. It was reported that during next Spring Chopwell War Memorial is to be cleaned, repainted and lettered at a cost of £18-10s. ) Satisfaction was expressed by a Chopwell councillor at the way in which the memorial had been put in order for the recent Remembrance services'.
Blaydon Courier, Friday 24 October 1952 (page 7) reported: 'Chopwell War Memorial Plan After many of the parishioners of Chopwell had expressed the desire to have some fitting memorial erected in memory of those in the villige who made the supreme sacrifice in the last war and also as a thank offering from those who returned safely, the matter was considered at the annual meeting of the Parochial Church Council when it was decided that such a memorial be placed in the Parish Church of St. John’s. The memorial will take the form of a carved oak altar, reredos and panelling in the chancel of the church and will be a worthy addition to the stained glass window and oak screen memorial for the 1914-18 war. An appeal has been sent by circular to all parishioners for contributions to the fund. It is felt that the Chopwell people will respond liberally to so worthy an object and if any-one has not received the circular they are asked to note that contributions will be thankfully received by the Rev. M. Shorthouse, The vicarage, Chopwell'.
[Details of the memorials mentioned in this report are in our separate records WMR 42092 and WMR 42093].
Gateshead Post, Thursday 4 August 1994 (page 31), printed the notice: 'GATESHEAD METROPOLITAN BOROUGH COUNCIL TOWN AND COUNTRY PLANNING ACT 1990 PLANNING (LISTED BUILDINGS AND CONSERVATION AREAS) ACT 1990. LISTED BUILDING CONSENT. TAKE NOTICE that the Gateshead Borough Council has received an application for listed building consent for permission for the removal of Chopwell War Memorial at present located on a site adjacent to Chopwell Social Club at Hall Road Chopwell and for the re-siting of the same on land adjacent to the bus layby in Derwent Street, Chopwell. The property is on the Grade II list of Buildings of Architectural or Historic Interest. Copies of the application for listed building consent and all other plans and documents relating thereto may be Inspected by members of the public at the Planning Department, Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead, Monday to Thursday, 8:45 am to 5:00 pm and Friday 8:45 am to 4:35 pm during a period of 21 days from the date of this Notice. Any persons who wish to object or make representations to the above mentioned Council about the application for listed building consent should make them in writing within 21 days from the date of the Notice to the Director of Planning, Civic Centre, Regent Street, Gateshead. Dated this 4 August 1994 R M Kelly Director of Legal and Administrative Services Civic Centre Regent Street NE8 I till Dated the 4th August 1994 R M Kelly'
Chopwell Regeneration Group website; has photos of the Memorial at its original location (outside the Workmen's Social Club and Institute), and the unveiling ceremony in 1923:
https://www.chopwell.org/war-memorial/
