‘I transform my garden to get people to remember’

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A veteran has been transforming his house into a mini Remembrance museum every November for the past eight years.

Chris Petherbridge’s display is filled with wartime memorabilia from conflicts spanning more than 100 years.

The 63-year-old, from Keyingham in East Yorkshire, served in the army for 18 years and has hand-carved many of the wooden objects, making the display more special.

Mr Petherbridge said his efforts were made worthwhile when a veteran visited the display last year and cried. “He made my year,” he said.

“It made it worth it just for that one man to stand there and let his feelings out.”

The display includes wooden poppies across the archway of his driveway and a hand-carved wooden rifle that he described as his “main achievement”.

It also features a collection of memorabilia, such as letters and posters.

“All the kids in the village come and they really appreciate it and it gives me a chance to tell them all about it and pass it on,” he added.

“We had the Cub Scouts and they actually loved it. It’s nice to see them enjoying it all and that’s what drives me on to do something different every year.”

A photo of the Remembrance display. There is a board with all of the wars listed. There is a hand-carved rifle with a war helmet on top and a boot at the bottom.

Mr Petherbridge’s hand-carved rifle is his “biggest achievement” [BBC]

During his time in the armed forces, he served in the Falklands, Cyprus and Northern Ireland and his three children were all in the military.

He said: “Because I had friends that didn’t come home, I wanted to honour the other people in Afghanistan, Iraq and the First World War.

“It’s nice just to get people to remember.”

A photo of the Remembrance display at an angle. There is a war board closest to the camera with a list of all the wars and in the background is wooden poppies on the archway that are lit up. There is also a wooden rifle with a war helmet and a set of war boots.A photo of the Remembrance display at an angle. There is a war board closest to the camera with a list of all the wars and in the background is wooden poppies on the archway that are lit up. There is also a wooden rifle with a war helmet and a set of war boots.

The display usually takes about a week to put up and three to four days to take down [BBC]

With the help of his neighbours, the display takes about a week to put up and three to four days to take down, Mr Petherbridge said.

It is usually available for the public to view until approximately a week after Armistice Day.

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