Ex-JFS student ‘felt so privileged’ to be part of Somme commemoration

An ex-JFS student “felt so privileged” to be part of  an initiative to mark the Somme centenary, which saw thousands of actors appear in uniform across the country.

Eryl Davies, 19, was part of the team for the ‘we are here’ project, which marked 100-years since the World War One battle.

The University of Arts London student told Jewish News: “I felt so privileged to be a part of such a unique and once in a lifetime event that involved such a large scale of people all over the uk.”

The project, which was the brainchild of Turner Prize winner Jeremy Deller, required participants to keep the concept strictly secret.

Eryl said: “I didn’t find it hard to keep it a secret. I think it helped working with friends on the project, as I didn’t feel inclined to tell anyone. I knew it would be more exciting to keep it a surprise”.

The project saw thousands of actors dressed in WW1 soldiers uniforms during the morning commute of July 1.

They sang the wartime song “we are here”, to the tune of Auld Lang Syne, and held cards with names of soldiers that perished in the battle.

The student from Elstree said: “I felt so emotional to see the impact these soldiers had on the public.”

“I saw older generations give hugs and were crying when they saw them. To see the final outcome and how it affected the public made it a truly a one of kind experience.”