Chew Valley School News
The Peter Brown Memorial Garden is reopened
Family, friends and colleagues of the late Pete Brown joined with current staff and students from Chew Valley School to reopen the Memorial Garden on Sunday 27th September. The Garden had originally been a project of Mr Brown's and it reflected his passions for nature and education. It was completed as a permanent tribute to his work in the school but last summer the Chew Valley community was distressed by the callous theft of the eagle statue which was its centrepiece.
Two of our teachers, John Hack and Lizzie Shuttleworth, were determined that this desecration of the garden should not be the last word and plans were immediately drawn up to replace the sculpture with an equally beautiful and appropriate memorial to Pete. Local artist and Chew Valley parent, Patrick Barker, was commissioned to produce a sculpture in limestone. The great stone pine cone now lies in the garden as if it had just fallen to earth. It already looks as if it has always been there.
Our thanks to Jim Shuttleworth and Norma Sanders who have given so generously of their time in getting the garden ready for its opening and to Mike Chidzey, Jeff Evans and Jeff Miller for erecting the magnificent new gates.
A wound has been healed and our community is stronger for the experience.
