Poem – “Our Story” unveiled at award winning park

Young writers, who penned a poignant poem about women’s suffrage, have unveiled  their work at an award winning park in Newcastle-under-Lyme.

The eleven learners from Newcastle College unveiled a plaque inscribed with their
collaborative piece at Brampton Park on Wednesday 18 December.

“Our Story”, written by a group of 18 to 22 year olds from the college’s supported internship, refers to the extreme lengths women went to in order to gain the right to vote. The plaque has been positioned in the herbaceous border, adjacent to the rose garden, near to a stunning steel silhouette representing local legend Vera Brittain’s journey towards pacifism and the women’s suffrage movement following the First World War. The suffrage project, sponsored by local stonemason Wilf Burt, is part of this year’s gold standard Britain in Bloom entry.

The talented writers were also invited to a small ceremony with The Worshipful the Mayor, Councillor Simon White.

Cllr. Mark Holland, Cabinet member for leisure, culture and heritage, said: “I would like to congratulate the college group on their fantastic achievement. It’s a great poem.
“The project is a great way to inspire young people to be creative and at the same time
improve the appearance of the environment for residents and visitors.”

Rob Sigley, Curriculum Leader for Life Skills and Employment Training at Newcastle
College, added: “Our learners are over the moon to have had their work recognised and
immortalised within Brampton Park for all who visit to see and read. They have each
displayed a real passion for researching and collaboratively writing about the suffragette movement and we are extremely proud of their contributions.”

The poem reads as follows:

Only seen and not heard, pretty, not worth our word.
Formed a union to tell our tale, talking alone we did fail.
Took to the streets graffiti we wrote, determined we were to get our vote.

Uphill and down dale we set fire to the mail.
Some sent to jail, our supporters did wail.
The hunger strike, the men did not like.
So then forced fed whilst chained to our bed.
The fight carried on, with Emily Davison now gone.
Her death not in vain as change slowly came.
The men how they tried, their power slowly died.
One hundred years on, the injustice now gone.
From not worth our word, we’re now pretty and heard.