Holocaust memorial service to be held in Stamford

People are being encouraged to attend a memorial service to those who experienced the Holocaust.

The event takes place annually at St Michael’s Churchyard off Stamford High Street and this year it is on Friday (January 26) from 11am.

One of those who has attended in previous years is Mike Swatton from South Witham.

Although Mike cannot go this year for health reasons, he is a firm advocate of people being aware of the atrocities of the past, so they are not repeated.

Mike and his two grown up children travelled to Poland in 2015 to visit the Museum at the site of two parts of the former Auschwitz concentration and extermination camp: Auschwitz I - the main camp and Birkenau, the largest part of the complex where most of gas chambers and crematoria were located.

Over three days they took in the awfulness of the place, as well as the stories of hope and courage that the Auschwitz-Birkenau museum retells.

Among those that lodged in Mike’s mind was that of the prisoners who, 80 years ago this year, worked together to stage a revolt at Crematorium IV.

“The resilience of the inmates was something which affected me deeply,” he said.

Mike’s son, Michael, added: “I’m surprised people who came out of that place went on to live happy, positive lives, but many did.”

Everyone is welcome to attend the short service on Friday (January 26), which takes place at the Holocaust memorial in St Michael’s Churchyard, Stamford, from 11am.

* In an earlier version of this article we said that the event in Stamford was on Saturday (January 27). This is the date of Holocaust Memorial Day but the Stamford commemoration will be a day earlier. We apologise for giving incorrect information.