Anzac Day commemorations and newspaper to pay tribute

Anzac Day draws near once more, we stand with hearts bowed low. Remember all those brave young men, who died, so long ago. Recall the fields of Flanders, white crosses row by row. Poppies are sold on street corners, we pin them to our breast. Think of all the young men, forever laid to rest – Children of War (excerpt), by Carole Callingham.

This is an excerpt from one of the many local submissions that will feature in a commemorative newspaper this Anzac Day. As a means of preserving the wartime experiences and photographs in print, Bayfair Shopping Centre in association with SunMedia will be producing the newspaper for Anzac Day and free copies will be available at the Bayfair Information Desk from Wednesday 25 to Sunday 29 April.

“We would like to thank everyone for their wonderful submissions and although not all can feature in the newspaper, we will ensure they are given a presence at the Centre’s exhibition on Anzac Day,” says Bayfair marketing manager Nina Rivett.

Bayfair will be displaying submissions as part of its Anzac Day exhibition when the Centre opens at 1pm on Wednesday 25 April. The exhibition will also include, amongst other things, a military vehicle courtesy of Classic Flyers, a collection of aviation photography, items brought back from the Solomon Islands and a specially created diorama.

Bayfair is also encouraging the local community to share dedicated messages of thanks to those who were, or are currently involved in an armed conflict commemorated by Anzac Day. Between now and Tuesday 23 April, they can simply collect a paper poppy petal from the Bayfair Information Desk and write their message on it. Alternatively, those who cannot make it to the Centre can email the message via the ‘Contact Us’ link on the Bayfair website (www.bayfair.co.nz). Bayfair personnel will transcribe the messages received via the Facebook page and the website onto the petals.

All the petal messages will be displayed on a huge sky banner suspended from Bayfair’s ceiling which will be unveiled in-centre at 1pm on Anzac Day.

Visit www.bayfair.co.nz or www.facebook.com/bayfairshoppingcentre for further details.