Pausing to reflect on conflict with Ripon's commemorative silhouette soldiers

For the nation today, it is a time to reflect on the sacrifice and courage that was shown by people from all walks of life in the name of freedom.

In a similar vein, the centenary of the end of the First World War, two years ago, provided a poignant opportunity for commemoration.

In Ripon, a trail of thought-provoking steel sculptures were installed across the city as part of a project to honour the servicemen and women who died in the war and all those who returned from the conflict.

This particular silhouette, of a horse and trooper, that has gained the name Fred and Bones, was inspired by silverware that belonged to the 16th/5th The Queen’s Royal Lancers, a cavalry regiment of the British Army.

Ripon was an area dominated by military activity at the time of the conflict and war poet Wilfred Owen wrote a number of works there.

In 2013 Skipton and Ripon MP Julian Smith described the city as being “one of the main centres for the organisation of troops being sent to and returning from the Front”.

Some 350,000 troops passed through during the course of the war, with Ripon Camp able to accommodate around 30,000 soldiers at its peak.

The Silhouette Soldiers grassroots project aimed to “return First World War servicemen and women to the streets of Ripon”.

The sculptures were installed as a precursor to a commemorative exhibition at Ripon Cathedral and were designed by local artists Dan Metcalfe, Jeanne Mundy and Joe Priestley, with production by Econ Engineering.

They continue to strike a chord with Ripon’s residents and visitors, offering, for many, a poignant reminder of all those who have served in conflict.

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