Acomb Green celebrates Peace Day, 19 July 1919
A remarkable photograph recently shared with York Civic Trust by member Lesley Williams as part of our Our Place project, captures a very special moment in the history of Acomb Green: the community celebrating Peace Day on 19 July 1919.
Peace Day was held across Britain and the wider British Empire to mark the end of the First World War and the signing of the Treaty of Versailles.
For communities such as Acomb, the occasion must have carried a mixture of celebration, relief and profound sadness. The war had lasted for more than four years and had taken the lives of countless men from communities across the country.
Lesley’s photograph gives us a wonderfully personal glimpse of the occasion. Written on the back are the names of two children: her mother, Win, then aged nine-and-a-half, and her uncle Nev, aged seven.
The Green itself provides the setting, continuing its long role as the communal heart of Acomb.
Just three years after this photograph was taken, another important event took place here. Acomb’s War Memorial was unveiled on 7 May 1922, providing a permanent reminder of those from the community who had died during the conflict. The memorial was repaired by the Civic Trust in 2018.
