Generations come together to mark centenary of Zeppelin attack on Sunderland

Grange Park Primary School pupil Madison Eastick, 10, with the Mayor and Mayoress of Sunderland, Coun Barry Curran and Carol Curran, at Monkwearmouth Station Museum unveiling a Zeppelin art structure created by children from Grange Park Primary School with, from left to right, Time Bandits members Rosie Serdiville and Tony Hall, World War Two veterans Jack Watson and George Waller, and Time Bandits member John Sadler.

The air raid attack killed 22 people and injured over 100 others.

One of the sites bombed on April 1, 1916 was Monkwearmouth Station, and the station museum hosted ‘Zeppelin Attack!’ on Thursday, where visitors were able to look at displays commemorating the event.

The Mayor and Mayoress of Sunderland, Coun Barry Curran and Carol Curran, unveiling a memorial bench at the Wheatsheaf Green with, from left to right, World War Two veteran Jack Watson, Sunderland Council Deputy Leader and Armed Forces Champion Coun Harry Trueman, Julie Elliott MP, Chairman of Sunderland Armed Forces Network Coun Graham Hall, Coldstream Guards Asc Fred Porter and World War Two veteran George Waller.

They also had the chance to make a model of their own Zeppelin to take home.

Meanwhile, on the 100th anniversary today, the Mayor of Sunderland, Coun Barry Curran, was joined by guests including community and veteran’s groups for a public unveiling of a memorial bench at the Wheatsheaf Green.

He then travelled with his guests to Monkwearmouth Station Museum for the launch of the ‘Zeppelin’ art structure, created by children at Grange Park Primary.

Coun Curran said: “It is hard to imagine what people must have experienced at the time with bombs raining down on their communities, and we need to commemorate both their suffering and their bravery facing such an attack.

“The memorial bench provides the opportunity for people to sit and reflect on what happened, while our young people have used their creative talents to capture the emotions children must have experienced a hundred years to create the Zeppelin artwork.”

The centenary commemoration project was funded by Sunderland City Council’s North Area Committee and led by Museums, Heritage and Library Services working with Infinite Arts.

As part of the project, Year Five children from Grange Park Primary, in Swan Street, were inspired by historic re-enactment sessions and talks from the ‘Time Bandits’ to think about how they would have felt during such a deadly attack on their community.

Subsequent workshops at the school with Infinite Arts have translated the children’s thoughts into the paper artwork and creative writing, which forms part of the skin of the Zeppelin model unveiled and put on display at Monkwearmouth Station Museum.

Tomorrow, there is also the chance for people to take part in a guided walk through the city centre between 9.30am and 11.30am, to learn more about how the First World War affected Sunderland.

To book a free place, call 0191 561 4578.