📸 The Skidmores Story – Part Four: The War Memorial

After the Great War, Worle came together to honour the bravery of its fallen.

In January 1919, villagers gathered in the old school hall on Hill Road and agreed that remembrance should stand at the heart of Worle, in something future generations could look upon with gratitude and pride.

The decision was unanimous: a clock tower built of local stone, standing as a daily reminder of bravery and service.

On Thursday 14 September 1922, the village gathered in silence. Relatives of the fallen and ex-servicemen stood in the foreground. Children watched nearby. Windows along The Parade were opened so everyone could share the moment.

The crowd waited outside Number One, The Parade, now trading as Skidmore and Sons.

The memorial was unveiled. Hymns were sung. Heads were bowed.

It is easy to imagine Edward and Charlotte Skidmore, watching from an upstairs window, mindful of their son Stanley’s injuries and Stanley himself, a wounded serviceman, standing among his neighbours.

This clock tower became more than stone and time.

It became a symbol of gratitude, bravery and local pride.